How to Inspect Your Shock Absorbing Lanyard

Shock absorbing lanyards are commonly used devices for fall arrest. In several specific fall protection applications, shock absorbing lanyards are actually the preferred device. As with anything in the fall protection industry, it’s important to inspect your equipment before each use. When equipment is used without a preliminary inspection, there is a higher risk for the equipment to be less effective during fall arrest.

Before each lanyard use, you should follow these inspection points:

• Check device for wear, damage, and other deterioration.
• All snap hooks and carabiners on product must be able to self-close and lock.
• All webbing and rope must be inspected for tears, cuts, fraying, abrasion, discoloration, or other signs of wear and damage.
• Sewn terminations must be must be secure, complete, and not visibly damaged
• All rope splices must be secure.
• Device must be inspected for kinks, broken strands, corrosion, abrasion, or other signs of wear and damage.
• Swaged terminations must be secure with the thimble tight and not visibly damaged
• Load indicators must not be deployed.
• Damaged and other deteriorated or defective components must be immediately removed from service in accordance with the requirements of OSHA 29 CFR 1910.66 & 1926.502.

In order to inspect the webbing and rope elements of a shock absorbing lanyard, you should do the following:

• Bend 6 to 8 inches of the webbing into an upside down “U” shape
• Inspect along all webbing and rope materials. Look for tears, cuts, fraying, abrasion, discoloration, burns, holes, mold, unsplicing, pulled or broken stitches, or other signs of wear or damage.
• Sewn terminations should be secure, complete, and not visibly damaged. All rope splices should be secure.

Please note: These inspection points are meant as a minimum guideline and are not all of the potential inspection points that may be required for your particular situation. PLEASE FOLLOW ALL INSPECTION PROTOCOL AS OUTLINED IN YOUR PERSONAL FALL PROTECTION TRAINING COURSE. 

In order to enhance the likelihood of a successful and comfortable fall arrest with a fall protection system, it is a good idea to follow the inspection points that have been outlined above. Performing tasks in a construction or industrial environment can definitely damage the equipment in the area. In an effort to maximize the effectiveness of your safety equipment, you should regularly take the time to inspect your devices before you use them. Frequent inspections help reduce the likelihood of using equipment that is damaged and may fail when presented with the forces of fall arrest.

Until the next time, stay safe up there!

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