Safety & Compliance · SOP
Fall Protection Harness Lanyard Annual Competent Person Inspection
A thorough visual and mechanical inspection of every full-body harness and shock-absorbing lanyard in active service, performed by a qualified competent person to meet CSA Z259.10, Z259.12, and WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation 14.22 requirements.
Estimated Time
45 min
Difficulty
Advanced
Regulation
CSA Z259.10 / Z259.12
Version
1.2
Purpose
To establish a standardized, repeatable procedure for annual competent person inspection of fall protection harnesses and lanyards. The objective is to detect any deterioration, damage, or deformation that could compromise the equipment’s ability to arrest a fall, ensuring worker safety and regulatory compliance with CSA standards and provincial occupational health and safety legislation.
Scope
This procedure applies to all full-body harnesses (meeting CSA Z259.10) and all shock-absorbing lanyards and self-retracting lifelines (meeting CSA Z259.11 / Z259.12) that are used by employees, contractors, or visitors on any worksite under the jurisdiction of the company’s safety program. It covers inspection performed by a competent person as defined by local regulation—someone with adequate training, knowledge, and experience to identify existing or predictable hazards. This SOP does not cover pre-use user checks (daily) or third-party certification testing.
Safety Precautions
- In the event a harness or lanyard fails inspection, immediately remove it from service. Lock or tag it out using a red “DO NOT USE” tag and store it in a segregated quarantine area to prevent inadvertent reuse.
- Do not use solvents, bleach, or abrasive cleaning agents on webbing. If cleaning is required, use mild soap and water only, and allow to air dry away from direct heat sources. Contaminated webbing must be inspected for chemical degradation and discarded if softened or stiffened.
- The inspector must wear cut-resistant gloves when handling hardware (D-rings, buckles, snap hooks) to protect against sharp edges or burrs. Safety glasses are recommended during torque checks of metal components.
- Never test the function of a shock-absorbing lanyard by applying a fall load during inspection. Use only the manufacturer’s approved tension tools or visual elongation measurements. Unauthorized dynamic testing can initiate the energy absorber and render the lanyard unusable.
Required Tools & Materials
- Full-body harness meeting CSA Z259.10 (sample under inspection)
- Shock-absorbing lanyard or SRL meeting CSA Z259.11 / Z259.12
- Penlight or 500-lumen inspection flashlight
- Magnifying glass (10× minimum) for detailed stitch and fibre examination
- Straightedge ruler (150 mm) for measuring webbing width and stitch length
- Torque wrench calibrated to manufacturer’s specified D-ring nut torque (typically 8–10 N·m)
- Digital camera (for photographic evidence of defects)
- Manufacturer’s inspection manual or technical data sheet for each model
- Inspection checklist (paper or digital via SafeDesk)
- Colour-coded tags: green (passed) and red (quarantine/fail)
Procedure: Step-by-Step
1
Pre-inspection preparation. Confirm inspector qualification as competent person per local regulations. Gather manufacturer’s technical manual for each model to be inspected. Lay out harness and lanyard on a clean, dry, well-lit table. Assemble all inspection tools and download or print the inspection checklist. Ensure no oils, solvents, or abrasive debris near the work area.
2
Full webbing examination. Unfold the harness and lanyard completely. Examine both sides of every strap—shoulder straps, leg loops, chest strap, ventral and dorsal D-ring straps, and lanyard webbing. Use the penlight at a low angle to highlight broken fibres or cuts. Look for: fraying, abrasion (fibre breakage areas), cuts exceeding 1.6 mm depth, chemical damage (discolouration, stiffness, swelling), heat damage (glazing, melting, shiny spots), UV degradation (fading, brittleness, powdering), and embedded particles. Measure webbing width with the straightedge; reject if width reduction exceeds 3 mm from nominal. Document any stains, mould, or foreign material.
3
Stitching integrity check. Using the magnifying glass, inspect all stitching: strap ends (tack stitches), buckle and adjuster sleeves, D-ring pads, leg snap attachments, and shock pack securing stitches. Check for broken, cut, pulled, or missing threads. Verify stitch pattern matches manufacturer’s sample (colour, type, gauge per inch). Reject if >10% of visible stitches are compromised or if any load-bearing seam (e.g., D-ring attachment) has more than one broken stitch.
4
Hardware inspection – D-rings, buckles, adjusters, snap hooks. Examine all metal hardware for cracks, deformation, corrosion, sharp edges, burrs, and plating flaking. Verify dorsal, sternal, side, and hip D-rings move freely but remain securely seated in webbing pockets. Check all friction buckles (waist and leg) for smooth adjustment and positive locking. Test snap hook gates – they must close fully with an audible click; check for spring fatigue by applying side pressure. Use torque wrench to confirm D-ring nuts (if adjustable) are torqued to manufacturer specification (e.g., 8–10 N·m). Any D-ring that can be moved by hand when the nut is tight must be marked for rejection.
5
Shock absorber / SRL inspection. Inspect energy absorber cover for tears, abrasions, or evidence of internal strap exposure. Gently elongate the shock pack to the manufacturer’s maximum manual test length (e.g., 25 mm for many models) and check for broken internal stitching through the viewing window; immediately release tension. For self-retracting lanyards (SRLs): retract fully, then pull a short length (300 mm) and check for smooth operation with no hesitation. Engage brake mechanism per manufacturer’s instructions; verify locking action. Inspect cable or webbing for kinks, crushed sections, or broken strands. Record condition of swivel and carabiner.
6
Label legibility and data verification. Locate all mandatory tags: CSA certification mark, manufacturer’s name and logo, model number, serial number, date of manufacture, maximum capacity (incl. ANSI/CSA class), and warning instructions. Verify every label is fully attached, not cut, defaced, or faded beyond readability. Record the label data in the inspection log. If any label is missing or illegible, the unit must be removed from service and returned to the manufacturer for replacement or disposal – do not re-mark or repair.
7
Record keeping and colour‑coded tagging. Using either paper form or the SafeDesk digital inspection module, document: date, inspector name and signature, equipment model and serial number, condition of each major component, any defects discovered, and final decision (pass / fail / quarantine). Attach a green “PASS” tag securely to the dorsal D-ring for serviceable gear. For failed items, attach a red “FAIL – DO NOT USE” tag, photograph the defect, and move the unit to the designated quarantine area. Archive records for a minimum of 5 years as per WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation 14.22.