Client insists this is classed as lifting equipment so needs a 6 month inspection BS EN 360:1993 Personal protective equipment against falls from a height. Retractable type fall arresters Are the correct ?

http://www.hse.gov.uk/wo...inery/lift-equipment.htm "Equipment not covered by LOLER "LOLER is wide in its scope and some equipment might appear to be 'lifting' and therefore thought to be covered by LOLER. However, there are some notable exceptions that are not covered by LOLER, including : ... "fall arrest ropes"

This is a bit more complicated IMHO; these are not just "ropes" they are equipment which MUST work (I am thinking of inertia reel types). When I worked for a scaffold company we treated them as being LOLER accessories - remember, their primary use is to SUSPEND ie "LIFT"? a person in the event of a fall. I fact in the dusty environment we worked in we just renewed them after 6 months as stripping and servicing them was as costly. What I am saying is, you need to consider this carefully and make a judgement - and record your reasoning. Turn this around - you don't inspect, someone falls and is injured, what will your defence be?

You have to be careful as some retractable type fall arrester have winches built into them and therefore come LOLER. There are requirements under the PPE and WAH regs (arguably PUWER) to inspect and maintain equipment. Therefore for retractable type fall arrester that does not come under LOLER, which is most of them, you do need some sort of inspection, maintenance regime. If the manufacture recommend load testing then it should also be carries out.