Hello there Harness training - how frequently should this be repeated? Is it laid down somewhere under a code of practice? Or is it the whole risk assessment approach, how ofen do people use them etc to determine our own frequency of refresher training? Any help gratefully appreciated.

Yes it's laid down in a few places, but none of them are any use. BS8437 asks for refresher training and re-assessment "at regular defined intervals", but doesn't define them. WAHR says nothing about refresher training at all, for reasons best not gone into. PPE at Work 1992 as amended 2002 in 9(3) requires "demonstrations" of the use of PPE by the employer at "suitable intervals", again not defining any. BS8437 does however require that rescues are practiced whenever "new situations" are encountered, and that can often only happen by setting up a refresher course on site (you rarely have the extra kit to practice rescues legally and safely). The general approach within the industry is as follows: - for users regularly working at height, re-train when their certificate expires. - for users not working at height for 6 months or more, re-train or re-assess as appropriate. - when significant changes to laws, company policies, rescue plans or equipment occur, re-train as appropriate. Most certs issued by companies in the UK last between 12 months and 3 years, depending on the course and provider. Very "simple" use of harnesses takes a lot less training, but conversely is often the one where users forget what they've been told the quickest - especially if they don't use one very often.