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Age of Kit for Loler


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I'm sure this question has been asked but I'm finding it hard to get a definitive answer, even when looking at the legislation.

 

Apparently any fabric part your equipment subject to Loler can't be older than 5 years.

 

My first question to Loler experts is "is this subject to interpretations"? e.g. 5 years from first use or 5 years in continuous use etc etc

 

I have a harness which is dated 2010. I don't use it every day and it's in good condition. I could replace the bridge and all the ironmongery is fine. Is it a simple answer of sorry it's older than 5 years so its a fail! Or yes its in good condition so it ok?

 

Just to add to the mix, the manufacturers recommended life is 6 to 8 years.

 

Where does this put the Loler inspector with regards to insurance if he/she passes an old harness. Or anything else fabric for that matter.

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First and foremost I am not a LOLER inspector but this is info I have had in the past.

 

Man made fabrics are given 10 years life from manufacture, that's manufacture of the fibre which makes the fabric not the harness. That fibre could be made into webbing then site on a shelf for a few months before going to the harness manufacturer and sit for a few months then onto your arb shop as a harness and sit for a few months before you buy it. This therefore means your 10 year fabric lifespan does not translate to 10 years of harness life.

 

It's difficult if not impossible to accurately judge this time from manufacture to first use so a safety margin is built in, this is usually given as 5 years to be ultra safe leaving 5 years of use. 50% safety margins are fairly standard through a lot of industries.

 

I had a harness which was regularly used for 3 years then moved to the rescue kit. For the next 2 years it only came out of the bag for training and LOLER. At the point of 5 years from 1st use this harness was deemed suitable by my LOLER inspector to remain in the rescue kit for a further 12 months with the reasons being excellent condition, lack of use for the last 2 years giving no wear and lack of exposure to UV extending the life of the man made fibres. 6 months later I replaced it and moved my day to day harness to rescue kit. I now buy a new harness every 2.5 years so it does 2.5 years full use then 2.5 years as rescue then bin.

 

Therefore to answer your original question your 5 years can be subjective, your harness could be knackered in 6 months but could last 6 years. Based on price however even an expensive harness is only £1 a week if you keep it 5 years, how much is your life worth?

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Manufacturers must give a life expectancy, so if you have that available it's all you need for age.

 

If that isn't available then it's down to the inspector to make an informed judgement, and for that purpose there are guidelines give, ie 5 years for textiles.

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Manufacturers must give a life expectancy, so if you have that available it's all you need for age.

 

:thumbup: Depends on manufacturer's recommendation, some give 10 years for harnesses others 5 & some 7. Get on the web & download relevant info for your harness etc.

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I was looking for info like this a few weeks ago, after reading the '5 years for textiles'. I googled and found something from Petzl saying 10 years from date of manufacture (which you get from the serial number), obviously overall condition says whether its usable or not. Kit with a hard life will wear out quicker than stuff that's looked after and hardly used.

 

It would seem harsh to set a definite time scale on something, but I do understand that where manufacturers guidance or other info, such as date of manufacture, there needs to be some guideline.

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Just noticed you have stated manufacturer's recommended lifespan as 6-8 years. In which case providing you can produce relevant documentation & harness remains in serviceable condition there should be no reason why the harness should fail until the upper figure is reached.

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Just noticed you have stated manufacturer's recommended lifespan as 6-8 years. In which case providing you can produce relevant documentation & harness remains in serviceable condition there should be no reason why the harness should fail until the upper figure is reached.

 

correct:thumbup1:

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I have had a harness used infrequently passed by a loler inspector up to 8 or 9 years old, others would fail if over 5 years since first use.

Thus there is some play in the system....

Even if it passes an inspection you need to be confident in your gear.

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