Frequency
• General warnings • Meanings of markings and declara - tions of conformity Though every manufacturer presents these notices a little differently, many require the product to be inspected before every use. Prevailing industry standards and accepted industry prac - tices are aligned on this point. There are often additional require - ments around periodic and annual/ professional inspections—typically, that they be conducted in more detail and performed by persons with advanced qualifications.
Details matter, and they are often buried in the fine print. Make sure you under - stand them nonetheless. A few examples: “Before and after each use, check the state of the stitching and the tape, in particular the state of the edges.” “This product must be inspected periodi- cally and meticulously, every three months if in frequent use, annually for occasional use.”
The dent in this helmet is hard to see, and wouldn’t have been found without inspecting every helmet individually.
overlook sets and components they use daily—routine can result in some lapses in inspection. Rescue equipment inspection can also be overlooked, as it is typically used infrequently. Do not skip pre-use inspections. Periodic inspection: Accepted industry practice and prevailing standards re - quire a qualified inspector to do a more detailed look through the course and its affiliated equipment on a schedule that is generally specified by the manufac - turer of the course or elements. Though some operations hire an outside professional to conduct these inspec - tions, they’re often done in-house with
“The potential lifetime of this product in use is 10 years.”
All of those are from a “technical notice” or “instructions for use” that come with life safety equipment. Regardless of what it’s called, this document should provide relevant information for the user, including: • Intended use • Any specific precautions to note • Proper care and maintenance • Inspection criteria • Product lifetime
Some considerations for each of the three types of inspections:
Pre-use inspection: This sort of inspec - tion is usually performed by a “com - petent” person—one who is trained in assessing and identifying hazards, but may not necessarily be trained in resolving the hazards they identify.
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