Working at heights

The acronym PPE stands for “Personal Protective Equipment”, and describes a device or means intended to be worn or held by a person, in order to protect them against one or more risks likely to threaten their safety or health.

The actual lifespan of PPE refers to the date when equipment would no longer be usable due to a natural aging phenomenon. It is up to each manufacturer to determine this lifespan. At Penta, the recommendations for our Working at Height PPE are generally based on an actual lifespan of 10 years.

However, PPE also has an effective lifespan. This is more or less long depending on several criteria :

• Its usage environment
• Its frequency of use
• Its transportation
• Its storage
• Its maintenance

An exceptional event may, for example, lead you to retire a product after a single use, such as after a fall, or due to a specific type or intensity of use, or to the usage environment : harsh environments, sharp edges, extreme temperatures, chemicals… This is why visual checks by the user before each use, as well as the mandatory periodic inspection by a competent person, are necessary and essential.

In all cases, it is important, as with any question relating to the use, maintenance, and inspection of PPE, to always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for the equipment in question.

No, there are 3 levels of PPE :

• Category I PPE (minor risks without consequences for the worker's health) : bump caps, cotton gloves, rainwear
• Category II PPE (intermediate risks, serious but non-fatal) : industrial helmets, safety shoes, protective glasses, leather over-gloves
• Category III PPE (major risks : fatal or irreversible) : Arc Flash clothing, Arc Flash helmets for electricians, hearing and respiratory protection

Indeed, all PPE must comply with European Regulation 2016/425, which defines :

• The essential requirements regarding health and safety
• The placing of PPE on the market
• The definition of PPE
• Compliance between Member States and free movement within the EU
• The design of PPE, according to the 3 categories of PPE mentioned earlier
• The different certification procedures applicable to PPE
• The scope of EU type-examination
• The obligations of the PPE manufacturer (such as the user instructions, for example)

Yes, every piece of personal protective equipment is governed by a specific standard. Here are the standards concerned, according to each PPE (concerning the field of electrical safety, of course) :

• EN 341 : Descenders (Only self-locking descenders are considered PPE)
• EN 353-1 : Mobile fall arresters including a rigid belay support
• EN 353-2 : Mobile fall arresters including flexible belay devices
• EN 354 : Lanyards
• EN 355 : Energy absorbers
• EN 358 : work positioning and prevention (PPE for work positioning)
• EN 360 : fall arresters
• EN 361 : fall arrest harnesses
• EN 362 : Connectors
• EN 363 : Fall arrest systems (Standard for terminology and system requirements)
• EN 364 : Test methods (Standard on test methods)
• EN 365 : Instructions for use and marking (Standard on instructions for use and marking)
• EN 795 : Anchoring devices (Only classes B and E are considered PPE)
• EN 813 : Sit harnesses
• EN 1891 : Low stretch braided ropes

Remember to clean your PPE after each use. Follow the manufacturer's instructions by referring to the user manual for effective cleaning and disinfection. Favour appropriate cleaning products and avoid using abrasive or harsh products that could damage it.

All personal protective equipment (PPE) against falls must be inspected at least every twelve months from the date of first use. This inspection must be carried out by a competent person, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Only this periodic regulatory inspection allows the equipment to be put back into service, at least each year.