Competent Person – Inspection of Personal Fall Protection Equipment

About the training

Inspecting personal fall protection equipment involves more than identifying visible damage. The correct product must be identified, the correct documentation verified, and the product’s history, construction, function and current manufacturer instructions must all be considered before a decision can be made.

This two-day training course provides participants with the knowledge, methodology and extensive practical training required to carry out and document periodic and exceptional inspections of personal fall protection equipment as a competent person within the defined scope of the training.

The training covers the complete inspection process – from product identification, marking, instructions for use, product records and history to physical inspection, functional testing, assessment, decision-making and documentation.

Participants work with actual fall protection and rescue equipment, product records, current instructions for use, maintenance and inspection, as well as both defect-free equipment and products with deliberately introduced controlled defects and deviations.

A central principle is that the same type of damage does not always mean the same rejection criterion. The current instructions for the specific product always govern the actual inspection and assessment.

Quality assurance

The training concept has been developed by Hewall Safety since 2008 and is quality-assured within Hewall Safety’s management system, in line with the principles of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001. It is based on defined training objectives, controlled training material, and theoretical and practical assessment against defined criteria.

The content is based on applicable occupational health and safety legislation, relevant provisions, standards and current instructions for use.

Course objectives

After completing and passing the training, the participant shall, within the defined scope of the training and with Planning, Work and Rescue with Personal Fall Protection Systems as the required foundation competence, be able to:

• explain the role of a competent person, including responsibilities, competence limits and when equipment needs to be referred for further assessment,
• identify a product and use the correct and current instructions for use, product record and history as the basis for the inspection,
• understand how applicable regulations, standards and manufacturer instructions govern periodic inspection,
• carry out periodic inspection using relevant visual, tactile and functional checks in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions,
• identify and assess damage, wear and other deviations against the inspection and rejection criteria applicable to the specific product,
• make, justify and document a correct decision regarding the equipment’s continued handling,
• contribute knowledge to the organisation’s systematic occupational health and safety management as well as to the selection of equipment, purchasing, commissioning, management and periodic inspection of fall protection and rescue equipment within the organisation.

Target group

The training is intended for persons who will carry out periodic and exceptional inspections of personal fall protection equipment as a competent person within the defined scope of the training.

Prerequisites

Before the start of the course, the participant must have completed and achieved a passing result in Hewall Safety’s training course:

Planning, Work and Rescue with Personal Fall Protection Systems

That training constitutes the defined foundation competence for this course and ensures that the participant has the fundamental knowledge of personal fall protection equipment, personal fall protection systems, product marking, instructions for use and safe use on which this training builds.

Other training or experience does not replace this prerequisite within the standard training format.

How the training is delivered

The training is delivered over two days, 08:30–16:30 on both days.

Day 1 consists mainly of theory with practical application. Participants work with topics including the role of the competent person, regulations and standards, product identification, current product documentation, product records, registration, commissioning, materials and damage patterns, and the fundamentals of periodic inspection.

Day 2 is mainly practical. Participants carry out periodic inspections of several product categories and apply the complete work process, from identification and documentation checks to inspection, assessment, decision-making and documentation.

Practical assessment is carried out continuously against defined criteria and assesses the complete work process – not the number of defects identified. The theory test is carried out at the end of Day 2 and primarily assesses understanding, application and safe decision-making.

A clear inspection method

The training uses the following inspection method:

IDENTIFY AND VERIFY → ESTABLISH STATUS AND HISTORY → INSPECT → ASSESS AND DECIDE → DOCUMENT AND COMMUNICATE

The method provides a common structure for inspection work but never replaces the product’s current instructions for use, maintenance and inspection.

A correct periodic inspection cannot be carried out without current, product-specific information defining what applies to the product being inspected.

Decisions following inspection

A correct inspection decision may be:

• APPROVED – continued use
• TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE – discarded
• TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE – for further assessment or repair by the manufacturer/authorised party

A correct decision may therefore be to take the product out of service because the competent person does not have sufficient information or authority to make a final assessment.

Repair may only be carried out where permitted by the manufacturer’s instructions and by the party specified or approved by the manufacturer.

Course literature included

Each participant receives CAMP Inspecting PPE, a printed handbook containing extensive technical information, damage examples and practical inspection principles.

The book is used as technical and educational reference material together with current product documentation:

Inspecting PPE helps the participant understand what to look for. The instructions for use and the manufacturer’s current inspection instructions define what applies to the product actually being inspected.

Inspecting PPE does not replace product-specific instructions.

Product categories covered

• Harnesses – EN 361, EN 358, EN 813
• Work-positioning lanyards – EN 358
• Connectors – EN 362
• Lanyards – EN 354
• Energy absorbers – EN 355
• Retractable type fall arresters – EN 360
• Guided type fall arresters on a flexible anchor line – EN 353-2
• Guided type fall arresters on a rigid anchor line or rail – EN 353-1
• Low-stretch kernmantel ropes – EN 1891
• Rope adjustment devices for rope access – EN 12841
• Anchor devices – EN 795 Type A and Type B
• Descender devices for rescue – EN 341
• Rescue lifting devices – EN 1496

Introductory content

• Anchor devices – EN 795 Type E

Permanent systems and permanent anchoring solutions

• Permanent lifeline systems – EN 795 Type C
• Permanent rail systems – EN 795 Type D
• Permanent anchor devices and safety hooks – EN 17235

Scope of competence

After achieving a passing result, the participant has demonstrated competence within the defined scope of the training.

The competence covers the product categories, inspection methods and decision-making situations in which the participant has received instruction and against which they have been assessed according to the training’s defined criteria.

The training does not automatically provide:

• general manufacturer authorisation,
• the right to inspect all makes or models,
• competence to open, dismantle or service products where specific manufacturer requirements apply,
• the right to repair personal fall protection equipment.

For certain products, the manufacturer may require specific training, authorisation, specialist tools, or that the inspection or further assessment is carried out by the manufacturer or another authorised party.

Would you like to read more about the training content, assessment, technical references and limitations? Download the full course description.