Near-miss: quarantine of fall arrest equipment
A member has reported a near miss incident in which lift arrest equipment was found to be faulty and was subsequently removed from use. During an annual inspection of equipment on a vessel, the inspecting person found that on three fall arrest devices, there was no stenciling on the arrestor and the safety device on the hook did not function correctly, as the hook could be opened without using the safety clip.
The inspector noted the following:
- A clear guideline was the readability of the label. Because the fall arrest devices didn’t have the original labels showing the year of manufacture proof of this could not be ascertained;
- The safety device on the hook was not working; the hook could be opened without using the safety clip.
Members may wish to carry out further spot checks of fall arrest equipment, and ensure that fall arrest equipment is always sourced from a reputable contractor.
Members may wish to refer to the following similar incidents (key words: fall arrest):
Safety Event
Published: 20 March 2015
Download: 
IMCA SF 04/15
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