Periodic Revision of Personal Protective Equipment Category III
SWTH Ingeniería has technicians specialized in revision/repair and overhaul of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The team includes inspectors officially accredited by the following brands: PETZL, KORDA’S, CAMP, MIGUEL MIRANDA, CLIMAX, KASK, ACCESUS, among others.
Do you need to check, repair or tune up your equipment, or perhaps you have detected that your operators need to be trained in the correct use of the equipment, do not hesitate to contact us! Once a quotation has been requested and accepted, a technical team will come to your facilities to provide the requested service with the utmost professionalism.
TECHNICAL ADVICE
You will receive first-hand information from our specialized technicians.
To carry out the annual periodic review of a PPE, a SWTH technician will perform the specific and necessary tests for each device, classifying it as APT (it may be used for a maximum of one more year depending on the conditions of each manufacturer) or NOT APT (it must be discarded).
In order to answer the most common questions that an employer may have regarding device inspections, types of inspections and their mandatory nature, the following is a description of each type of existing PPE inspection, as well as the reasons why their annual periodic inspection is mandatory.
TYPES OF EQUIPMENT OVERHAUL
- VISUAL INSPECTIONS BEFORE AND AFTER EACH USE. Article 10 of RD 773/1997, May 30, 1997, states: In application of the provisions of this Royal Decree, workers, in accordance with their training and following the instructions of the employer, shall in particular:
- Correct use and care of personal protective equipment.
- After use, place the personal protective equipment in the place indicated for it.
- Immediately inform their direct superior of any defect, anomaly or damage observed in the personal protective equipment used which, in their opinion, could lead to a loss of its protective efficacy.
The third section of this RD 773/1997, deals with the obligation of the worker to check the condition of the equipment before use, in addition to urging the employer to ensure that his employee has the adequate and necessary training to know how to carry out this visual inspection of the PPE.
At SWTH we provide the necessary training on the use of Personal Protective Equipment as well as the correct maintenance according to the manufacturer’s manual. In addition to how to carry out the visual inspection of the device prior to its use. For this we provide the user with the necessary tools to be able to detect deficiencies in the equipment.
Suitable
They will be the subject of a report and certification that SWTH’s technical department will issue to each company for safekeeping until the following year.
Not Suitable
According to the inspector’s report, the equipment must be disposed of by the equipment owner.
SWTH has a wide variety of products to service and replace the NOT SUITABLE devices. Technical advice will be offered, carrying out a previous study of the needs of the work to be carried out, thus improving the adopted solution if it exists. A quotation will be issued, guaranteeing a quick management of the order and the best quality/price.
- SPECIAL INSPECTION. Sometimes PPE is exposed to different situations and environments of a special nature, which can cause deterioration and consequent reduction of the technical characteristics of the PPE. This causes a reduction of its functionality. The conditions to which the devices are subjected are of different nature and depend on the type of work to be performed and the environment during execution. These special or extraordinary conditions may be as follows:
- Work in corrosive environments.
- Falls during the execution of work.
After these events the equipment must be guarded and not used until inspection. This review will decide the state in which the device is, and must be carried out by a competent persone.
- PERIODICAL REVISIONS. Periodic inspections are carried out on a scheduled basis on the different devices, and are in-depth inspections in accordance with the manufacturers’ specifications. The UNE-EN 365 standard specifies that inspections must be carried out by competent persons at least every 12 months, following the specifications and inspection procedures indicated by the manufacturer. In addition, most manufacturers require a minimum annual inspection of their devices.
WHO IS A COMPETENT PERSON?
UNE EN 365: person knowledgeable of the existing requirements related to the periodic review and of the recommendations and instructions issued by the manufacturer applicable to the components, subsystem or system to be reviewed.
As indicated in the standard, this competent person is a person knowledgeable in the existing requirements for the periodic review of the devices, as well as the recommendations and instructions issued by the manufacturer applicable to the component, subsystem or system to be reviewed.
In SWTH engineering we have inspectors officially recognized by different brands for the review of PPE and systems. Trust in the professionalism of SWTH INGENIERÍA technicians and do not forget that we watch over your safety.
