EN
THE ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES FOR USERS OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AGAINST FALLS
FROM A HEIGHT:
• Personal protective equipment shall only be used by a person trained and competent in its safe use.
• Personal protective equipment must not be used by a person with medical condition that could affect the
safety of the equipment user in normal and emergency use.
• A rescue plan shall be in place to deal with any emergencies that could arise during the work.
• Being suspended in PPE (e.g. arresting a fall), beware of suspension trauma symptoms.
• To avoid symptoms of suspension trauma, be sure that the proper rescue plan is ready for use. It is
recommended to use foot straps.
• It is forbidden to make any alterations or additions to the equipment without the manufacturer's prior
written consent.
• Any repair shall only be carried out by equipment manufacturer or his certified representative.
• Personal protective equipment shall not be used outside its limitations, or for any purpose other than that
for which it is intended.
• Personal protective equipment should be a personal issue item.
• Before use ensure about the compatibility of items of equipment assembled into a fall arrest system.
Periodically check connecting and adjusting of the equipment components to avoid accidental loosening
or disconnecting of the components.
• It is forbidden to use combinations of items of equipment in which the safe function of any one item is
affected by or interferes with the safe function of another.
• Before each use of personal protective equipment it is obligatory to carry out a pre-use check of the
equipment, to ensure that it is in a serviceable condition and operates correctly before it is used.
• During pre-use check it is necessary to inspect all elements of the equipment in respect of any damages,
excessive wear, corrosion, abrasion, cutting or incorrect acting, especially take into consideration:
- in full body harnesses and belts - buckles, adjusting elements, attaching points, webbings, seams, loops;
- in energy absorbers - attaching loops, webbing, seams, casing, connectors;
- in textile lanyards or lifelines or guidelines - rope, loops, thimbles, connectors, adjusting element, splices;
- in steel lanyards or lifelines or guidelines - cable, wires, clips, ferrules, loops, thimbles, connectors, adjusting
elements;
- in retractable fall arresters - cable or webbing, retractor and brake proper acting, casing, energy absorber,
connector;
- in guided type fall arresters - body of the fall arrester, sliding function, locking gear acting, rivets and screws,
connector, energy absorber;
- in metalic components (connectors, hooks, anchors) - main body, rivets, gate, locking gear acting.
• After every 12 months of utilization, personal protective equipment must be withdrawn from use to carry
out periodical detailed inspection. The periodic inspection must be carried out by a competent person for
periodic inspection. The periodic inspection can be carried out also by the manufacturer or his authorized
representative.
• In case of some types of the complex equipment e.g. some types of retractable fall arresters the annual
inspection can be carried out only by the manufacturer or his authorized representative.
• Regular periodic inspections are the essential for equipment maintenance and the safety of the users
which depends upon the continued efficiency and durability of the equipment.
• During periodic inspection it is necessary to check the legibility of the equipment marking. Don’t use the
equipment with the illegible marking.
• It is essential for the safety of the user that if the product is re-sold outside the original country of destina-
tion the reseller shall provide instructions for use, for maintenance, for periodic examination and for repair
in language of the country in which the product is to be used.
• Personal protective equipment must be withdrawn from use immediately when any doubt arise about its
condition for safe use and not used again until confirmed in writing by equipment manufacturer or his
representative after carried out the detailed inspection.
• Personal protective equipment must be withdrawn from use immediately and destroyed (or another pro-
cedures shall be introduced according detailed instruction from equipment manual) when it have been
