Guidelines on the Safe Use of Fall Arrest Equipment④

Guidelines on the Safe Use of Fall Arrest Equipment④

(Labour Standards Bureau Notification No. 0622-2 of June 22, 2018)

VI. Inspection, maintenance, and storage

Inspection, maintenance, and storage of fall arrest equipment must be carried out properly, by appointing a responsible person, etc., and inspection results and information needed for management should be recorded in a management ledger, etc.

1. Inspection

In addition to daily inspections, regular inspections shall be carried out at fixed intervals, in accordance with inspection standards established for the items indicated below. The interval between regular inspections shall not exceed six months.
At the time of inspection, confirm that all parts needed for safety and described in the instruction manual are present.

(1) Belt or strap wear, gouging, twisting, or discoloration, hardening, or dissolution due to paint or chemicals.

(2) Wear, cutting, or fraying of sewing thread

(3) Wear, fissures, deformation, rust, or corrosion of metal fittings, degradation of resin coating, melting due to electric short circuit, state of rotating and sliding parts, state of rivets and springs


(4) Lanyard wear, strand breakage, gouging, scorching, deformation due to kinking or untwisting, etc., discoloration, hardening, or dissolution due to chemicals, state of eye section and shock absorber


(5) State of strap winding and unwinding of the winder. For a winder with lock function, the strap should lock when it is pulled out quickly.
The usage limit for each part, based on extent of damage, must be set in consideration of the part material, dimensions, structure, and use conditions.
Wear of lanyard ropes, etc. progresses rapidly, so regular visual checks of any lanyard used for at least one year must be carried at short intervals. In particular, ropes for work positioning equipment experience severe wear due to rubbing against utility poles, etc. so diligent daily inspections are necessary. Also, the section close to the hook, etc. is easily damaged, and thus needs to be checked carefully.
In addition, if a tool holder, etc. is attached, it will cause wear of the belt/strap, so it is necessary to regularly check wear of the part hidden by the holder.

2. Maintenance

Maintenance is performed both regularly and on an as-needed basis.
During maintenance, package products that combine parts (example: a lanyard combining a hook, etc., a shock absorber, and rope, etc.) must not be disassembled and combined with parts from other companies’ products.

(1) If there are stains on belts, lanyard ropes, etc., wash with lukewarm water. If a stain is difficult to remove, wash with a neutral detergent, rinse well, and dry naturally in a well-ventilated area indoor area away from direct sunlight. At that time, take care not to let water permeate into the shock absorber.

(2) If paint gets on the belt or lanyard, wipe off with a cloth, etc. Do not use solvents that might that affect strength.

(3) If the metal fittings get wet with water, etc., wipe them off with a dry cloth and apply a thin coating of rust prevention oil. 


(4) Regularly lubricate the rotating and sliding parts of metal fittings. If there is sand or mud, etc., clean well and remove. 


(5) Generally speaking, lanyard ropes, etc. have the shortest service life among the parts of fall arrest equipment, so if only the lanyard rope, etc. is worn, replace the lanyard rope, etc. or replace the entire lanyard. When replacing, it is preferable to follow the method recommended by the manufacturer of the fall arrest equipment. 


(6) For winders, check rope winding, unwinding, and operation of the lock (if there is one). Also check that the winder cover is not damaged, that the mounting screws are not loose, and that there is no conspicuous rust or corrosion of metal parts.

3. Storage

Store fall arrest equipment at a location satisfying the following conditions:

(1) Not exposed to direct sunlight.


(2) Well-ventilated and dry


(3) Away from flame, heat radiators, etc.

(4) Away from corrosive substances


(5) Low levels of dust


(6) No rats

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VII. Disposal criteria

1. Do not use equipment if it has been subjected to the impact of a fall even once.


2. Equipment must not be used if inspection results show something wrong, or severe deterioration such as wear or damage, etc.

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VIII. Special education

When a worker is assigned to operations relating to work using full harness type fall arrest equipment, at a place having a height of 2 m or more and where it is difficult to provide a working floor, the employer shall provide special education for that worker beforehand, through both classroom study and practical skills training, regarding the following subjects.

(*Curriculum is omitted here because it has been described above.)