Personal protective equipment (PPE) is used to protect against hazards at the place of use and is required by law. BGR 198 already prescribed from a working height of 1m.

The European legislator stipulates that employers are obliged to take measures to protect their employees. This also applies to work at height and fall hazards, where there is a risk of a fall resulting in serious or even fatal injury.

• Occupational Health and Safety Act (ArbSchG)
• PPE Usage Ordinance (PSA-BV)
• Technical rules for workplaces (ASR A2.1)
• DGUV regulations
• DGUV rules
• DGUV Information
• DGUV principles

According to ASR A2.1, it is necessary to wear PPE from a fall height of 2.00 m. In the case of water or substances in which it is possible to sink, it is necessary to wear PPE from 0.00 m in accordance with ASR A2.1.

• Safety harnesses according to DIN EN 361
• Lanyards according to DIN EN 354
• Lifting/connecting devices according to DIN EN 354 and 795
• Travelling fall arresters according to DIN EN 353-2
• Fall arrester according to DIN EN 355
• Retractable type fall arresters according to DIN EN 360
• Anchor devices according to DIN EN 795

A risk assessment must be carried out in the company/at the workplace (by the company safety officer and, if necessary, external consultants). After the hazard has been determined, a product selection can take place according to the criteria of approval, labelling and instructions for use. The desired radius of action, user weight and drop height/distance should be taken into account.

The required clear height is calculated from the fall distance and the safety distance. The following pictures illustrate two common cases.

The following applies in principle: Before each use, the PPE must be visually inspected by the user for damage. In addition, an inspection by an expert (trained in accordance with DGUV principles 312-906) is required once a year.

The duration of use of PPE against falls from a height depends on various factors. One factor is wear and tear. Empirical values according to DGUV regulation 112-198 state that safety harnesses are ready for discard after 6-8 years and textile lanyards are ready for discard after 4-6 years. However, this information may vary depending on the manufacturer.

PPE against falls from a height can be stored for a period of 2 years if stored properly. This results in a maximum service life of 10 years for harnesses and a maximum of 8 years for lanyards. Decisive data are the date of manufacture and the date of first use, which must be documented in the operating instructions/test book.

Damaged PPE or PPE that has been stressed by a fall must generally be withdrawn from use.

Important note: PPE must not be labelled independently. If the PPE is to be personalized (e.g. with user names), this can be done by means of an additional name label, provided that the user has been informed in advance. Labeled PPE is declared ready for discard upon inspection.