EN 365 does not define the protection level of any product. Instead it sets out what actually keeps fall protection equipment safe in service: instructions, marking, record-keeping and periodic inspection.
Periodic inspection
Equipment must be inspected by a competent person at least once every 12 months. Intensive use, an aggressive environment or extreme conditions call for a shorter interval — often six months. Each inspection must be recorded on the equipment's record card.
What the record card must contain
- Product name, model and serial number.
- Manufacturer and contact details.
- Date of manufacture, date of purchase and date of first use.
- The date, result and inspector for each periodic examination.
- The next inspection date and any defect or repair recorded.
Service life of textile components
Textile components (harnesses, lanyards, ropes) have a maximum service life, typically 10 years from manufacture even if kept unopened. Metal components have no fixed life but are judged on condition. Any component that has arrested a fall is withdrawn immediately.
Instructions must be supplied in the official language of the country of use and must include the requirement for a rescue plan — a system without one is incomplete.