Petzl Guidance for Maintaining PPE

For all professionals, regularly inspecting all personal protective equipment (PPE) used daily on the worksite is an important step, as well as a legal obligation! At Petzl, we try to make it as convenient as possible for those who use our products by providing complete documentation. Here's a guide to help you take advantage of the tools that are available!

Periodically inspecting PPE is a legal obligation. In France, for example, the inspection process must be conducted at least every 12 months, and even more often if the manufacturer recommends it. The inspection and the results must be tracked and recorded to specify the state of the products and potentially, their retirement. To help those using the PPE, as well as certified inspectors, Petzl has made a set of documents available to use.

The Technical Notice

Using the Petzl technical notice, there are a number of elements that help evaluate if a product is still fit to be used or not. First, you'll find the product's complete nomenclature, which allows you to confirm that the product has all of its components. You'll also find an inspection summary and points to verify before and during use, function-test diagrams, as well as additional information about markings, traceability, use, life cycle, and precautions to take for maintaining and storing PPE. The technical notice is the fundamental and critical document when it comes to making sure that you're properly taking care of and monitoring your equipment!

PPE Inspection Procedure

In addition to routine checks for each use, PPE should regularly undergo a detailed inspection someone who has received training. For each product, Petzl provides a standardized inspection document that corresponds to the type of equipment (harnesses, helmets, descenders, pulleys, etc.) This document identifies all necessary inspection points and how to inspect them, helping to ensure that none of the crucial steps are missed.

PPE Inspection Form

This document provides detailed points to check and observations to track during an inspection. It is assigned to each piece of PPE with its serial number, or by a batch of the same type of products if necessary. This inspection form completes the PPE inspection record by demonstrating the individual tracking of each piece of PPE. 

Tips for Taking Care of Your Equipment

This document is also made to correspond with product type. It provides information that will help make your equipment last longer. To achieve this, several aspects must be taken into account: product usage (intensity, frequency, conditions, etc.), and also the transport, storage, care, and maintenance. Taking care with all of these aspects helps avoid premature wear of the equipment. This document is a summary of precautions recommended by Petzl for maintaining your equipment.
 

Documentation You Can Access at Any Time

Because we know that accessing these tools is important for you, we've placed them in the best place possible: in each of the hundreds of product information pages listed on our website www.petzl.com. These documents are always available, regularly updated, downloadable in PDF format, and printable if necessary for direct use. To access them, go to a product page and click on "Technical Information". 

To Petzl, offering a complete solution means more than providing great products — it means providing guidance to our customers before, during, and after their use. With our documentation for PPE inspection, we go even further so you can experience the difference with Petzl technical tips and expertise.