PPE Inspection Trainings

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to protect people against one or more risks to their health or safety. It is carried, held, or worn by the user. In other words, PPE is used wherever there are risks to a person's health or life. Examples of risks can include respiratory damage due to toxic fumes/smoke, hearing damage due to loud noises, falling objects, or falls from great height. Breathing devices, hearing protection, cut protection pants, work safety footwear, protective helmets, and harnesses are all examples of PPE. Permanently installed safety equipment, such as nets or anchor points, is not classed as PPE as it is not something that people carry or wear.
Regulation (EU) 2016/425 regulates which items are classed as PPE in the European Union.

Personal fall protection equipment (PFPE) is a sub-category of PPE that protects people against falls when working at height.

In commercial and institutional contexts, PFPE is used, amongst others, by scaffolders, roofers, fitters, special police units, fire services, and work-at-height rescue teams, i.e. by people who are exposed to dangerous heights and depths within the scope of their work.

PFPE is also used in the sport and leisure sector, for example in climbing gyms, on high ropes courses, and in the mountains.

If PPE fails, major risk to life and limb ensues. The requirements regarding the design and manufacture of PPE are therefore accordingly strict. They are legally stipulated by Regulation (EU) 2016/425 and the 8th Regulation on the Product Safety Act—8. ProdSV. To protect users, it is not only the requirements to be met by new PPE that are important, but also regular inspections and servicing.

The qualification aims to familiarize participants with the field of personal fall protection equipment as well as the pertinent laws, regulations, and rules in relation to occupational safety and accepted engineering practices so that they can assess the orderly condition of equipment under consideration of its intended use.
Depending on the course (see course description), the training may cover one or more sub-areas of application for PPE:

• Personal fall protection equipment
• Equipment for (special) rescue from heights and depths
• Equipment for rope access and positioning work
• Equipment for rope climbing techniques
• Equipment based on device sets for the fire brigade
• Mountaineering equipment
• Equipment for sports and leisure facilities, high ropes courses, and rope techniques for outdoor education
• Equipment for height intervention techniques
• Equipment for mountain rescue services/teams

Company-related content requests are gladly considered and discussed during the course.

Rules, regulations, and standards:

• National occupational safety regulations, EC Directives on PPE
• Technical regulations (e.g. DIN/EN standards); BGR 198, BGR 199
• CE mark, standardization and certification process

Proper handling of personal fall protection equipment:

• Areas of use and application of PPE
• PPE designs, assessment, selection, and components
• Proper handling, storage, cleaning, and maintenance
• Manufacturers' guidelines and their implementation (e.g. product information)

Inspection and assessment:

• Materials and construction
• Inspection and assessment by a specialist
• Organization and documentation of the product inspection

Practical testing:

• Construction of PPE components
• Assessment and comments on various defects and types of damage

Product areas:

• EN harness systems (EN 1497, EN 1498, EN 358, EN 361, EN 813, EN 12277)
• Ropes (EN 1891, EN 892, EN 564)
• Connectors (EN 362, EN 12275)
• Lanyards and slings (EN 354, EN 795, EN 566, EN 565)
• Energy absorbers (EN 355, EN 958)
• Rope devices (EN 12841, EN 1496, EN 341, EN 353-2, EN 12278, EN 567, EN 15151)
• Helmets (EN 12492, EN 397)
• Miscellaneous (12270 chocks, EN 12276 camming devices, EN 893 crampons, EN 13089 ice tools, EN 568 ice anchors)

All training participants must:

• be at least 18 years of age
• demonstrably possess sufficient practical and theoretical knowledge with regard to the use and handling of personal fall protection equipment in the relevant sub-area as a result of their professional training and experience.

The following list provides examples of evidence considered to be sufficient for the various sub-areas:

• Personal fall protection/rescue equipment: training certificates, entrance tests
• Special rescue from heights and depths: proof of practical experience (recommendation by the Professional Fire Brigades' Working Group (AGBF)—special rescues from heights and depths)
• Rope access and positioning work: at least level 1 (see DGUV information 212-001)
• Rope climbing techniques: at least RCT level B (see Gartenbau-Berufsgenossenschaft (German Landscapers' Association) guidance GBG 1.1)
• Equipment based on device sets for the fire brigade: basic course according to AGBF recommendations
• Mountaineering equipment: professional sports training or mountain guide aptitude test
• High ropes courses and rope techniques for outdoor education: person qualified in the fields of sports and leisure facilities, high ropes courses, and rope techniques for outdoor education, a rescuer as a minimum or with a higher level of training
• Height intervention techniques: proof of service, height intervention technique group, training certificates
• Mountain rescue: proof of completed basic training (summer-winter course)

According to the DGUV principle 312-906, the qualification as a competent person must be maintained. With this refresher course, competent persons fulfil their duty of care as required by the DGUV principle to continuously adapt their knowledge to the state of the art.

Edelrid recommends that PPE competent persons refresh their knowledge every 3 years by taking part in a PPE competence training seminar in order to stay up to date with standards, regulations and products.

The content of the training covers all areas.

The prerequisite for participation is a successfully completed training as a competent person for the inspection and assessment of PPE against falls from a height.