4 June 2004 - Fall Arrest Equipment Safety Alert by HSE
Due to a number of recorded incidents in Europe along with interim findings of ongoing research by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), attention is being drawn by HSE to important warnings issued concerning certain fall arrest equipment usually found attached to or integrated in fixed ladders on permanent structures.
The results of the research were formally reported to the British Standards Institution (BSI) technical committee, PH/5 (Industrial Safety Belts and Harnesses), which is responsible for the UK’s input to the European Standards for Personal Protective Equipment against Falls from Height. PH5 has issuing two alerts in relation to the safety in performance of BS EN 353-1 2002 Part 1 fall arrest equipment.
Martin Holden, Principal Specialist Inspector in HSE’s Construction Corporate Topic Group commented:
“All those manufacturing, installing, using or having responsibility for any of these types of fixed rail or guided wire fall arrest equipment need to be aware of these important alerts. HSE advises that all relevant parties heed the warnings they contain and follow the recommendations in them. If end users are unable to follow the recommendations then we advise that alternative means of fall protection be used until such time that the equipment can be modified or replaced.”
“HSE inspectors will further publicise these warnings to trade associations and other relevant industry bodies.”
Incidents of reported malfunction in the Netherlands, Austria and Germany include:
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three cases (one fatal) involved the arrester running off the end of the rigid rail anchor lines, even though there had been an end stop fitted
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In two cases falls occurred with little injury although the devices failed to operate properly
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In a further two case the devices failed to operate properly resulting in serious/fatal injuries.
A guided type fall arrester is part of a fall-arrest system that includes a vertical rigid anchor line, usually attached to or integrated in fixed ladders.
The two warnings are available on annexes to HSE Press Release: E074:04 - 1 June 2004 titled, Safety Warning - Vertical Rigid Rail Fall-arrest Systems and Vertical Guided Type Fall Arresters - Testing, which can be found here.
