Rank: Forum user 
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We have around 100 employees who work at height and are required to wear harnesses and the associated ancillary equipment, lanyards etc..
Myself and one other employee are trained and classed as Competent Persons for the inspection of PPE injcluding harnesses and equipment.
We have been certifiying our employees equipment on a scheduled six monthly basis and in between as necessary for a number of years now with no problems.
We are employed 100% as sub-contractors.
We are now being questioned by one of our clients about our internal inspections in regard to legal compliance in proving impartiality and meeting insurance requirements.
They believe a third party should be carrying out our inspections for us.
Can anyone tell me if performing your own inspections fulfil legal requirements?
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Rank: Forum user
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The law requires the items to be inspected - it doesn't specify who should do it. As for insurance, unless they specify it within their terms and conditions they will only require it to be done by a trained person.
If you can demonstrate evidence of your training and inspections, and perhaps even evidence of condemned harnesses, it could show your client that you do take defective equipment out of service.
It's not so much about being impartial, just about beng objective. You'll have all the evidence you need in your files - maybe just need to tailor how you tell your client.
A
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Rank: Forum user
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Alex,
I have been removing harness's from my company over the last few weeks & replacing them with new ones, although I have not kept a record of the ones I thrown away
do you have a template i could use
Thanks
JMC
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Rank: Super forum user
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Harness inspections, checks and examinations are all different things especially so as examinations require a specific competence - your harness management system should be a formal one undertaken by appropriate people and its usual for unbiased people to undertake the different parts - I would have examinations undertaken by externals unless you can guarantee impartiality and competence
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Neil
to answer your post refer your clients to the WAHSA (Work At Height Safety Association) guidance TGN03 http://www.wahsa.co.uk/c...cman/task,cat_view/gid,5
The technical guidance issued by the WAHSA is regarded by the HSE as best practice.
You are trained and competent and I do not see an issue on your impartiality.
Steve
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