Quick shortcuts to useful links
Fall-related injuries in the workplace are often serious. Therefore, it is important to know the rules before using fall protection equipment.
Basically, fall protection is defined by the Danish Working Environment Authority as “personal protective equipment that prevents falls.”
Med andre ord; faldsikringsudstyr kan bruges til at “stop a fall or hindre fald”Stopping a fall means that the right fall protection equipment will ensure that you do not hit the ground or another surface if you are unfortunate enough to fall, and limit the fall energy that can cause personal injury. This is done by using fall-absorbing equipment, such as a lanyard or a fall arrest block / yo-yo. When using fall-absorbing equipment, it is important to have a rescue plan and equipment to carry out a rescue with.
Preventing a fall means that the right fall protection equipment prevents a fall from happening. This could be, for example, by using a harness and line that restricts freedom of movement to step over an edge.
Faldsikring må ikke benyttes som en permanent løsning, men kun, ”hvor det ikke er muligt at sikre mod fare for nedstyrtning ved brug af egnede tekniske hjælpemidler, fx rækværk, stillads eller personløfter”.
Normally, a task should not take more than four man-hours.
It is always the employer's responsibility to ensure that fall protection is used when necessary.
It is also the employer's responsibility to ensure the safety of the user, from beginning to the end of the task. This means that the user's safety must be taken into account as soon as they go up in the air.
The employer must also ensure that fall protection equipment is used correctly and is in good condition. This means, among other things, that the equipment must be kept clean and maintained and that the user must be trained in how to use the equipment correctly.
The user must also be trained in fall rescue, as injuries can easily occur to a person hanging after a fall.
The employer must have prepared an evacuation and emergency rescue plan when working with fall protection equipment.
What about the user, does he/she have no responsibility?
Yes, the user of fall protection equipment also has a responsibility. It is the user's responsibility to carry out a self-inspection of the fall protection equipment before it is put into use. This means that a visual inspection must be carried out to ensure that the equipment is not defective or has any deficiencies and a test / inspection of buckles, locks and carabiners. The user also has a responsibility to ensure that the anchor point is suitable, this applies especially if a temporary anchor point is established.
All fall protection equipment and parts, necessary for the equipment to function properly, must be approved and CE marked. To obtain approval, fall protection equipment must be tested according to European standards. At the same time, it is the supplier's duty to ensure that a Danish user manual is always available to those using the equipment.
Fall protection equipment must be maintained according to the supplier's instructions and kept clean and functional. The equipment should always be checked before use and at least once a year, by a competent person appointed by the supplier. The area where fall protection is used must be marked with signs. This is also the employer's responsibility.
Detailed rules and guidance can be found on the Danish Working Environment Authority's website, where you can also find a link to the legislation in the area.
