Safety harness inspection checklist

Whilst users should be trained to check their fall arrest harnesses before they use them, you can’t rely on that alone. You also need a more detailed check by someone, e.g. a supervisor, and this should be recorded.

Using our checklist

Our Safety Harness Inspection Checklist is designed for recording a weekly detailed check of a harness. If the harnesses are issued personally to staff it’s a good idea to insist that at the end of the working week all harnesses are handed in for checking. If your harnesses aren’t used all that often, keep them in a store and make sure they’re checked every time they’re issued. The checklist includes detailed instructions to the user, e.g. that checks must be carried out in good light and that webbing should be run slowly through the hands. There are also safety warnings included, e.g. if equipment is used to arrest a fall, it must be returned for periodic inspection by a competent person before being put back into service.

The content

The checklist includes a detailed list of 20 separate checks to be made of the harness condition. These cover, for example, that the webbing is free of surface abrasion, cuts, dirt, grease, mould, discolouration, flaking and heat damage. Other questions examine the condition of stitching, fittings, labels and moving parts. We’ve included a section at the end of the form to be used if the harness is being issued with a particular job in mind. For example, you’ll need to ensure the harness is being used within its rated capacity, is to be suitably anchored and that the users are properly trained. There are also checks that a shock-absorbing lanyard is to be used, there are suitable rescue arrangements in place and sufficient free space so that a fall would be arrested.