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Importance of inspecting fall protection equipment
IMCA has been made aware of a number of examples of fall protection equipment failing owing to poor or sub-standard equipment:
- Safety Alert 09-17 – Near Miss – New Fall Protection Equipment Failure – published by the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) (attached), notes that a new ‘pass-through tie-off adapter’ was only hot-glued and did not have the required stitching.
- Whilst teaching a fall protection class an instructor found a new piece of fall protection equipment that was not properly sewn. This equipment was brand new, still in the bag and made by a reliable manufacturer. One of the lanyards was improperly sewn and the webbing could be pulled apart by hand.
Improperly sewn fall protection equipment - In another similar instance, it was discovered that the rivet from the secondary lock on the snap hook of a lanyard had become damaged and allowed the secondary lock to come free from the hook. The hook was not involved in a fall event.
Members are encouraged to re-emphasise to their personnel the importance of thorough inspection of all fall protection equipment before and after use.
Safety Event
Published: 23 October 2009
Download: IMCA SF 15/09
IMCA Safety Flashes
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IMCA Safety Flashes summarise key safety matters and incidents, allowing lessons to be more easily learnt for the benefit of all. The effectiveness of the IMCA Safety Flash system depends on Members sharing information and so avoiding repeat incidents. Please consider adding [email protected] to your internal distribution list for safety alerts or manually submitting information on incidents you consider may be relevant. All information is anonymised or sanitised, as appropriate.
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