All your questions about Personal Protective Equipment for work at height
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 a PPE refers to the date when the equipment would no longer be usable due to a natural aging phenomenon. It is up to each manufacturer to determine this lifespan. At Penta, our recommendations for PPE are generally based on an actual lifespan of 10 years.
However, a PPE also has what is called an effective lifespan. This is more or less long depending on several criteria:
An exceptional event may, for example, lead you to discard a product after a single use, such as after a fall, or due to the type or intensity of use, or the usage environment: harsh conditions, sharp edges, extreme temperatures, chemical exposure... This is why user visual inspections before each use, as well as periodic regulatory checks by a competent person, are necessary and essential.
In any case, it is important, as with any question related to the use, maintenance, and inspection of PPE, to always refer to the manufacturer of the equipment in question.
No, there are 3 levels of PPE :
In fact, all PPE must comply with European Regulation 2016/425/EC, which determines :
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) :
Make sure to clean your PPE after each use. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for effective cleaning and disinfection. Use appropriate cleaning products, and avoid any 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.