Lifelines and anchor devices: what the rules say about periodic inspection

Three references, three different roles

When people talk about lifelines and fall protection, three references almost always come up. It is worth separating them, because each one deals with something different.

• EN 795 is the European standard for anchor devices used for personal fall protection: it sets requirements and test methods for the different types of anchor.
• EN 365 covers the general requirements for instructions for use, maintenance, periodic examination, repair, marking and packaging of personal fall protection equipment.
• Regulation (EU) 2016/425 is the European law on personal protective equipment (PPE). It sets the obligations of those who manufacture these products and place them on the market.

EN 795 and the types of anchor device

EN 795:2012 divides anchor devices into five types, A to E, each with its own requirements and tests. In practice, on a roof we mostly find:

• anchor points fixed to the structure (type A);
• transportable and temporary devices, such as tripods or beam clamps (type B);
• flexible horizontal anchor lines, the cable lifelines (type C);
• rigid horizontal anchor lines, on a rail (type D);
• deadweight anchors, resting on horizontal surfaces (type E).

Knowing the type is the first step in any inspection, because it is the manufacturer of that specific system who defines how it is installed, how it is used, how many users it can take and how it is inspected.

What EN 365 requires: periodic examination by a competent person

EN 365 sets out what the manufacturer must state about the use, maintenance and periodic examination of fall protection equipment. The usual benchmark that follows from it is a periodic examination at least once every 12 months, carried out by a competent person in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Manufacturers may require shorter intervals, depending on how intensively the equipment is used or the environment, and national law prevails where it is stricter.

"Competent person" is not a generic title. It is someone with the training and knowledge of the equipment and of the manufacturer's instructions to examine it, and with the authority to decide whether the equipment stays in service or is withdrawn.

What Regulation (EU) 2016/425 says

Regulation (EU) 2016/425 classifies PPE against falls from height in category III, covering risks that may cause very serious consequences. This means CE marking followed by the identification number of the notified body, an EU declaration of conformity and manufacturer's instructions in a language the user can understand.

For the owner of a building or a facility, the practical consequence is simple: harnesses, ropes, connectors and energy absorbers must have markings, instructions and records. Without them, there is no way to know whether the equipment is within what the manufacturer guarantees.

And in Portugal?

The rules on the use of work equipment, including equipment for temporary work at height, are set out in Decree-Law no. 50/2005 (in Portuguese), which transposed the European directive on work at height. It is the employer who must ensure that equipment is suitable, in good condition and checked. The building owner, for their part, has every interest in keeping the roof lifeline in good order: that is where they send the people who carry out their maintenance. Elsewhere in the EU, the same directive applies through each country's national legislation.

What we check when inspecting a lifeline

We always start with the paperwork. Without information about the system, the inspection is limited to what can be seen.

• Documentation: manufacturer, model, installation and user manual, declaration of conformity, installation drawing and records of previous inspections.
• Identification plate: next to the access point, showing the maximum number of users, the date of the last inspection and the date of the next one.
• Fixings to the structure: condition of the base, corrosion, tightness, cracks in the substrate, water ingress around roof fixings.
• Posts and intermediate parts: deformation, loose or missing parts, free passage of the traveller.
• Cable or rail: broken wires, crushing, corrosion, cable tension within the manufacturer's range.
• Energy absorber and terminations: deployment indicators, deformation, condition of the end fittings and tensioners.

One rule has no exceptions: if the system has arrested a fall, it is taken out of service until it has been examined and, where necessary, repaired or replaced in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

What about the PPE of the people using the line?

The lifeline is half of the system. The other half is the worker's equipment: harness, lanyard, energy absorber, connectors, self-retracting devices. These also need a pre-use check by the user and a periodic examination by the competent person. A harness with cut webbing or a karabiner that does not close by itself cancels out the best lifeline.

The record

At the end of every inspection, there should be a written record of what was checked, what was found, photographs, the decision (in service, to be repaired or out of service) and the date of the next inspection. That record is what shows, during a labour inspectorate visit or after an incident, that the system was being looked after.

Before you ask us for an inspection

• Find the lifeline manual and the installation report. If they don't exist, let us know.
• Take a photo of the plate next to the roof access.
• Tell us how the roof is accessed and whether there are any time restrictions.

With this, we can prepare the visit and tell you up front what can be verified.