Full-Body Harnesses
Webbing, stitching, buckles, attachment points and labels on fall-arrest, work-positioning and rescue harnesses.
Harnesses, Lanyards, Fall Arrest Blocks & Rescue Kits
Harness & Fall Arrest Inspections in London
Independent detailed inspection of the PPE that stops a fall: full-body harnesses, energy-absorbing lanyards, self-retracting fall arrest blocks, connectors, anchor slings and rescue kits. HSE's guidance recommends a detailed inspection at least every six months, and every three months for kit in frequent, arduous use. Reports are issued the same day, with photographs, and we remind you before the next round is due.
26+ Years Hands-On Engineering Experience
Independent of Maintenance Contracts
7 Days a Week, 6am to 6pm
Same-Day Reports, With Photos
Certificate expired or lift out of compliance? You're exposed to enforcement action, and your insurance may not respond, until it's resolved. What to do.
Written and reviewed by Mark Crowley, Director, Integrity Lift Compliance Ltd — 26+ years of hands-on lifting equipment engineering. NHS estates, commercial property and industrial lifting compliance.
Engineering Approach
What our harness & fall arrest inspection programme delivers
Independent, defensible statutory examination by an engineer with deep hands-on plant experience.
- Detailed inspection at least every six months, three-monthly for arduous use
- Harnesses, lanyards, fall arrest blocks, connectors and anchor slings
- Rescue and retrieval kits examined under LOLER where they lift a person
- Every item identified and recorded with its next-due date
- Failed items withdrawn on the day, not returned to the kit store
- Independent: we sell no PPE, so a rejection is never a sales pitch
Which regulations apply to harnesses and fall arrest PPE
Fall arrest equipment is covered by the Work at Height Regulations 2005, which require it to be inspected by a competent person, and by the PPE at Work Regulations, which require it to be maintained. HSE's guidance is a detailed inspection at least every six months, more often where kit is used in harsh conditions, on top of the user's pre-use check every time. LOLER applies to the parts of the system that lift a person, such as a rescue winch or retrieval tripod, which are then six-monthly thorough examinations.
What a harness and lanyard inspection checks
Each item is identified and examined by hand, not just looked at on a hook:
- Webbing: cuts, abrasion, glazing, burns, chemical staining and UV fading
- Stitching: broken, pulled or worn stitching, especially on load-bearing seams
- Metal parts: buckles, D-rings and connectors for distortion, cracking, corrosion and gate function
- Energy absorbers: any sign the pack has deployed, which means the lanyard has arrested a fall and must be withdrawn
- Labels and dates: legible markings, the manufacturer's lifespan, and the item's own inspection history
- Fall arrest blocks: line retraction, locking action and housing, with manufacturer servicing flagged when due
Anything unsafe is withdrawn on the day. The rest goes on one register with its next-due date, so a kit bag that moves between sites still has one record.
How often do harnesses and lanyards need inspecting?What you get after the inspection
A written inspection report identifying the item, what was checked, any defect with how serious it is and what must be done and by when, and when the next inspection should be. On top of that:
- Same-day report: issued digitally on the day of the inspection, not weeks later
- Photographs: of what was inspected and of any defect, in every report as standard
- Records and reminders: we keep the record on file and remind you before the next one falls due
If anything is not safe to use, you are told in writing before we leave. Because we sell no repairs, a defect on the report is never a quotation in disguise.
Assets We Examine
Asset classes covered under our harness & fall arrest inspection programme.
Lanyards & Energy Absorbers
Single and twin-leg lanyards, energy absorber packs and their connectors, including signs of a previous arrest.
Self-Retracting Lifelines
Fall arrest blocks checked for function, locking, housing and line condition, with servicing flagged in line with the manufacturer.
Connectors & Karabiners
Gate action, locking, wear and distortion on karabiners, scaffold hooks and snap hooks.
Anchor Slings & Temporary Anchors
Webbing and wire anchor slings, beam clamps and portable anchor devices.
Rescue & Retrieval Systems
Rescue kits, tripods and davit-mounted winches, examined under LOLER where they raise or lower a person.
Trusted by Critical Estates
Independent. Defensible. Genuinely Endorsed.
SAFed-aligned defect classification, and the endorsement below is a genuine NHS Trust quote — not stock marketing copy.
NHS
NHS
Critical estate passenger lift compliance experience
SK
Skanska
Construction & engineering compliance support
A·B·C
SAFed-Aligned Defect Grading
Defects graded A, B or C to the published SAFed severity scale — a grading standard we follow, not a membership we hold
DBS
Enhanced DBS
Director Mark Crowley holds an enhanced DBS check
NHS Trust Endorsement
“Exceptional response times and thorough documentation. Managing compliance across multiple critical medical estates is complex, but their team makes statutory lift auditing seamless.”
Phillip Nai
Critical Healthcare Estates Manager
Barts Health NHS Trust
Areas We Cover
Independent harness and fall arrest inspections across London.
Common Questions
Harness & Fall Arrest Inspection FAQs
How often do harnesses and lanyards need inspecting?
HSE's guidance recommends a detailed inspection by a competent person at least every six months, and at least every three months for equipment used frequently in arduous conditions such as demolition, steel erection or scaffolding. The user should also check it before every use. A pre-use check does not replace the detailed inspection.
Does LOLER apply to fall arrest harnesses?
Not usually on its own. An ordinary fall-arrest harness and lanyard is inspected under the Work at Height Regulations rather than LOLER. LOLER applies where equipment lifts a person, such as a rescue winch, a retrieval tripod or a harness used with them, and those parts are six-monthly thorough examinations.
What happens to a lanyard that has arrested a fall?
It must be withdrawn from use. An energy absorber is designed to deploy once; after a fall it no longer gives the protection it was rated for. We record it as rejected on the report the same day.
Can you inspect PPE for a whole site or contractor fleet?
Yes. We inspect every item in one visit, issue the report the same day with photographs of anything rejected, and keep one register so we can remind you before the next six-monthly or three-monthly round falls due.
How long does a harness last?
Until it reaches the manufacturer's maximum life or fails an inspection, whichever comes first. Many manufacturers set a maximum life from the date of manufacture; webbing degrades with UV, wear and chemicals even when the harness looks fine.
Do fall arrest blocks need servicing as well as inspection?
Usually, yes. Most manufacturers set a service interval for self-retracting lifelines, carried out by the manufacturer or an approved agent. We check function and condition and flag when the service is due.
How soon do I get the report?
The same day, with photographs of anything rejected.
Request a Survey
Tell us what needs inspecting and where. We'll reply within one business hour.
Already have an asset list or examination schedule? Email it to info@integrityliftcompliance.co.uk and we'll come back with a survey plan rather than ask you to retype it.
Survey Request Form
Further reading on harness & fall arrest inspections
How Often Do Harnesses and Lanyards Need Inspecting?
A fall arrest harness or lanyard needs three levels of checking: a pre-use check by the wearer every time, interim inspections where the work is hard on the kit, and a detailed inspection by a competent person at least every six months. HSE's guidance shortens that to three months for equipment used frequently in arduous conditions. LOLER is usually not the regulation that applies, which is why the intervals are often misunderstood.
Does LOLER Apply to Rope Access Equipment?
Yes. Rope access equipment is used to raise, lower and hold people at height, so LOLER treats it as lifting equipment for lifting persons and requires a thorough examination by a competent person at least every six months. That sits on top of the technician's pre-use check and any interim inspections the work demands.
How Often Are PUWER Inspections Required?
PUWER does not set a fixed interval like LOLER's six or twelve months. It requires an inspection where equipment's safety depends on how it is installed, and at suitable intervals where it is exposed to conditions that could cause dangerous deterioration. The interval is set by risk assessment, the result must be recorded, and power presses are the one exception with fixed statutory intervals.
Prefer to talk to an engineer?
07496 873972