Working at heights

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:

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

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 :

  • Level I PPE : PPE of simple design, such as gardening gloves, sunglasses, etc.
  • Level II PPE : PPE to protect against serious risks, such as mountaineering helmets and crampons, certain safety shoes, etc.
  • Level III PPE : PPE against lethal risks, including fall arresters, personal protective equipment, equipment for extreme temperatures, etc.

In fact, all PPE must comply with European Regulation 2016/425/EC, which determines :

  • Essential health and safety requirements
  • The placing of PPE on the market
  • Definition of PPE
  • Conformity between member states and free intra-Community circulation
  • PPE design, according to the 3 PPE categories mentioned above
  • The various certification procedures applicable to PPE
  • Scope of EC type-examination tests
  • PPE manufacturer obligations (e.g. instructions for use) 

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

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.

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