Action Safety recently carried out a competent-person periodic inspection of personal fall-protection PPE items for Tokyo Electron Singapore Pte Ltd comprising full-body safety harnesses and self-retracting lifelines / Retractables The inspection included equipment identification, visual and tactile examination, functional checks, service-life review, inspection tagging and a controlled inspection report for the customer. 

Client: Tokyo Electron Singapore Pte Ltd
Service: Fall Protection PPE Periodic Inspection
Equipment Inspected:  Full-Body Harnesses +  SRLs/Retractables
Location: Singapore
Inspection Result: Pass

Personal fall-protection equipment is safety-critical equipment. Even when a harness or self-retracting lifeline appears to be in good condition, periodic inspection helps identify deterioration, damage, malfunction, incorrect modifications, service-life limitations and other conditions that may require equipment to be removed from service. For this project, Action Safety performed an external visual, tactile and functional competent-person inspection of each individually identifiable asset. 

The harness inspection covered areas including:

• Equipment identification and traceability 
• Product and standards markings 
• Webbing condition 
• Cuts, abrasion and fraying 
• Heat and chemical damage 
• UV deterioration and contamination 
• Load-bearing stitching 
• D-rings and attachment points 
• Buckles and adjusters 
• Adjustment function 
• Evidence of unauthorised repair or modification 
• General condition and cleanliness 
• Manufacturer service-life and retirement requirements 

For one harness, the inspection also identified an approaching manufacturer service-life retirement requirement, allowing the customer to plan for replacement rather than continuing to rely solely on an annual inspection date. 

HARU HB-2N 2 m webbing retractable fall arresters / personal fall limiters were inspected.

The inspection included:

• Housing condition and integrity 
• Anchorage eye and attachment components 
• Webbing lifeline condition 
• Lifeline payout and retraction 
• Locking / braking function 
• Lifeline termination 
• Energy absorber / fall indicator 
• User-end connector 
• Line guide and wear points 
• Contamination 
• Evidence of unauthorised repair or modification 
• Manufacturer service requirements and available safety information 

The SRLs were inspected externally and functionally without opening the sealed housings.

The inspection framework referenced applicable Singapore workplace safety requirements and recognised fall-protection standards, including:

Singapore

• Workplace Safety and Health Act 
• Workplace Safety and Health (Work at Heights) Regulations 
• SS 528-1 — Full-Body Harnesses 
• SS 528-3 — Self-Retracting Lifelines 
• SS 528-5 — Connectors 

European Standards

• EN 365 — Periodic examination, maintenance and marking 
• EN 361 — Full-body harnesses 
• EN 360 — Retractable type fall arresters 
• EN 362 — Connectors 

Action Safety treats this service as a periodic competent-person inspection, not as manufacturer recertification or new EN product certification. 

All equipment were recorded PASS at the time of inspection and could be returned to service subject to:

• Manufacturer instructions 
• Correct use and connection 
• Satisfactory pre-use inspection before every use 
• Applicable retirement requirements 
• Immediate withdrawal following a fall, impact, damage, malfunction or suspected harmful exposure 

A PASS inspection does not replace the user's pre-use inspection and does not guarantee that equipment will remain serviceable until the next scheduled inspection. 

Harnesses, lanyards and self-retracting lifelines are exposed to wear, contamination, incorrect storage, UV exposure, damaged stitching, connector wear and accidental misuse.

Periodic inspection provides organisations with:

• Traceable equipment records 
• Independent competent-person assessment 
• Identification of damaged or questionable equipment 
• Service-life and retirement monitoring 
• Inspection tagging 
• Documented PASS / QUARANTINE / FAIL status 
• Evidence for internal safety audits and WSH management systems 
• Better control over fall-protection PPE issued to workers