A fall arrest harness is personal protective equipment and it is the last line in the work at height hierarchy, used only where a fall cannot be prevented. Because it is only called on in the event that everything else has failed, the condition of the harness and its lanyard is never tested in normal use. That is the whole reason for the inspection regime.
The three levels of check
The pre-use check by the wearer, every time: webbing, stitching, buckles, D-rings, labels, and the lanyard and its energy absorber. The detailed inspection by a competent person at intervals, recorded. And, for some systems, an interim inspection where the equipment is used in aggressive conditions such as grit, chemicals or heavy soiling. Manufacturers set the intervals for their own products, and their instructions are part of the duty.
What the inspection looks for
Cuts, abrasion, fraying, heat or chemical damage to webbing. Broken or pulled stitching, particularly at load-bearing points. Distortion, corrosion or cracking of metalwork. A deployed energy absorber, which means the lanyard has arrested a fall and the whole assembly is scrap. Illegible labels, which alone are enough to fail an item because the inspection cannot then confirm what it is or when it entered service.
Anything that has arrested a fall is finished
A harness and lanyard that have taken a fall are withdrawn permanently, whatever they look like. The forces involved damage fibres in ways that are not visible, and there is no inspection that can clear them. The practical control is a system for taking the equipment out of the wearer's hands immediately after an incident, because otherwise it goes back in the van.
What the certificate should record
The item's unique identity and serial number, its date of manufacture and date of first use, the inspection date and the next due date, the inspector's name and evidence of their competence, what was examined, and the verdict with any defects. A certificate that names a company and a date but not the individual item cannot be matched to the harness anybody is wearing, which is what makes it worthless.
Shelf life and the records that make it real
Manufacturers give a maximum service life from date of manufacture or first use, and it is theirs to set rather than the law's. Keeping the date of first use recorded from the day the equipment is issued is the only way that limit means anything later, and it is the record most often missing when somebody comes to check.
Questions people ask about harness inspection
How often should a safety harness be inspected?
By the wearer before every use, and in detail by a competent person at intervals set by the risk assessment and the manufacturer's instructions, with the inspection recorded.
Does a harness expire?
Manufacturers set a maximum service life for their own products, usually from the date of manufacture or first use. There is no single statutory expiry.
What happens to a harness after a fall?
It is withdrawn from use permanently, along with the lanyard and energy absorber. Fall arrest equipment that has taken a load cannot be inspected back into service.
What should a harness inspection certificate show?
The individual item and its serial number, dates of manufacture, first use and inspection, the next due date, what was examined, the verdict, and the named competent person who did it.