IPAF - MEWP Harness User Training Course

1. Inspection Fundamentals and Regulatory Requirements

• Competent person definition including (qualification requirements, responsibility scope, legal obligations, training needs)

• IPAF inspection standards including (technical bulletins, inspection guidelines, competency requirements, certification)

• EN 365 and ISO 9001 requirements including (inspection intervals, documentation, traceability, quality systems)

• Inspection types including (pre-use inspection, periodic inspection, post-incident inspection, retirement inspection)

• Legal framework including (workplace regulations, liability issues, duty of care, enforcement procedures)

2. Harness Construction and Failure Modes

• Material properties including (webbing characteristics, hardware specifications, stitching standards, degradation mechanisms)

• Failure modes including (mechanical failure, environmental damage, wear patterns, manufacturing defects)

• Load distribution including (stress concentration, load paths, failure progression, safety margins)

• Aging effects including (UV degradation, chemical exposure, fatigue loading, temperature effects)

• Manufacturing standards including (quality control, testing requirements, certification marks, batch tracking)

3. Inspection Procedures and Techniques

• Visual inspection including (inspection sequence, lighting requirements, magnification tools, documentation methods)

• Tactile examination including (flexibility testing, texture assessment, wear detection, damage identification)

• Functional testing including (buckle operation, adjustment mechanisms, attachment points, safety features)

• Measurement techniques including (wear measurement, deformation assessment, gap analysis, dimensional checking)

• Inspection tools including (magnifying equipment, measuring devices, testing equipment, documentation systems)

4. Defect Identification and Assessment

• Defect categories including (critical defects, major defects, minor defects, cosmetic damage)

• Rejection criteria including (size limits, location factors, severity assessment, cumulative damage)

• Damage assessment including (cut damage, abrasion wear, chemical damage, heat damage, UV damage)

• Hardware inspection including (corrosion assessment, wear patterns, function testing, replacement criteria)

• Documentation requirements including (defect recording, photographic evidence, traceability, reporting)

5. Documentation and Record Keeping

• Inspection records including (inspection forms, equipment registers, defect logs, certification documentation)

• Traceability systems including (equipment identification, inspection history, maintenance records, user tracking)

• Certification procedures including (inspection certificates, competent person signatures, validity periods, renewal requirements)

• Record retention including (storage requirements, retrieval systems, audit trails, legal compliance)

• Database management including (electronic records, backup systems, access control, data integrity)

6. Equipment Management and Planning

• Inspection scheduling including (frequency determination, resource planning, workload management, priority systems)

• Equipment tracking including (inventory management, location tracking, usage monitoring, lifecycle management)

• Replacement planning including (service life assessment, procurement planning, cost management, availability)

• Quality control including (inspection quality, consistency checking, calibration requirements, performance monitoring)

• Risk management including (inspection risks, equipment risks, operational risks, mitigation strategies)

7. Competent Person Responsibilities

• Role definition including (inspection authority, decision making, certification responsibilities, liability aspects)

• Competency maintenance including (continuing education, skill updates, knowledge refresh, certification renewal)

• Professional conduct including (ethical standards, independence, objectivity, professional judgment)

• Communication including (inspection results, recommendations, training needs, management reporting)

• Decision making including (pass/fail criteria, conditional acceptance, repair recommendations, replacement decisions)

8. HSE and Quality Assurance

• Inspection safety including (safe working practices, hazard identification, personal protection, emergency procedures)

• Quality systems including (inspection procedures, quality control, audit requirements, continuous improvement)

• Performance monitoring including (inspection effectiveness, defect detection rates, false positive rates, customer satisfaction)

• Regulatory compliance including (legal requirements, standard compliance, audit preparation, certification maintenance)

9. Case Studies & Practical Applications

• Regional inspection challenges including (environmental conditions, usage patterns, maintenance issues, regulatory variations)

• Defect identification exercises including (real damage scenarios, borderline cases, decision making, documentation)

• Inspection quality issues including (missed defects, false rejections, consistency problems, improvement strategies)

• The importance of proper training in ensuring reliable harness inspection and equipment safety