Service life of KRATOS SAFETY products
The regulatory environment of European standards covering the use of Personal Protective Equipment (type 3 – mortal danger) against fall from heights obliges the manufacturer to give the following information to the users of KRATOS SAFETY products.
Safe useable life:
EN365: 09-2004 : §4.2.2.y
“The instructions for use shall include statement of any known limit to the safe useable life of the product or any part of the product and/or advice on how to determine when the product is no longer safe to use.”
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The predictable useable life of KRATOS SAFETY products is : - 10 years for the products with at least one textile component - unlimited on products made of 100% metallic elements. |
The predictable useable life can decrease depending on the following elements:
- The evolution of techniques and the compatibility between products,
- The intensity and frequency of use (*),
- The environment of use: salt corrosion, chemical environment, dusty environment, extreme cold or heat, humidity, etc.
- The compliance with the conditions of use, maintenance and storage included in the instructions for use of products.
- The result of compulsory periodic examinations.
The predictable useable life can increase depending on the result of compulsory periodic examinations.
A KRATOS SAFETY PPE can be rejected after a single use, as well as it can be kept and used over 10 years.
Of course, in case of wear, shock, fall arrest, or in case of doubt, the product should be withdrawn from used and returned to a competent person for in-depth examination.
Competent person, compulsory periodic examination and service life:
EN365 : 09-2004 : §3.3
“A competent person for periodic examination is a person who is knowledgeable of the current periodic examination requirements, recommendations and instructions issued by the manufacturer applicable to the relevant component, subsystem or system.”
As a consequence of these regulations, the competent person (inspector) is :
- A person trained by KRATOS SAFETY
OR
- A person whose knowledge and skills have been verified by KRATOS SAFETY
In any case, the competent person is a person whom KRATOS SAFETY has established a training certificate for KRATOS SAFETY products verification. The training certificate defines the field of products abilities.
EN365: 09-2004: § 4.4.b & c
“Instructions for periodic examination shall include:
Recommendation in regard to the frequency of periodic examinations, taking account of such factors as legislation, equipment type, frequency of use, and environmental conditions. The recommendation shall include a statement to the effect that the periodic examination frequency shall be at least every 12 months.
Warning to emphasize that periodic examinations are only to be conducted by a competent person for periodic examination and strictly in accordance with the manufacturer’s periodic examination procedures.”
EN365: 09-2004: § 4.7
“Manufacturers shall provide all the necessary information and equipment e.g. instructions, checklists, spare parts lists and special tools etc., to enable periodic examination to be carried out by a competent person.
Manufacturers may provide training for persons to become competent or for updating competency in the periodic examination of PPE or other equipment, or make arrangements for authorized organisations or persons to be made available.”
The compulsory periodic examination carried out by a competent person is essential regarding service life of KRATOS SAFETY products; this is the heart of our process and commitment.
| Any KRATOS SAFETY product that has not regularly had any periodic examination at least every 12 months, after its first put into use, cannot claim to have a 10-year useable life or more ! |
Correlation between the frequency of use and the frequency of periodic examinations (*):
The user has to adapt the frequency of periodic examinations to the frequency of use of the product; the table below gives you for information purposes only our recommendations in the matter:
| Type of use |
Occasional to Regular |
Frequent OR Occasional to regular in an aggressive environment |
Intensive OR Frequent in an aggressive environment |
| Recommended frequency for the periodic examination | 12 months | 6 months | 3 months |
The regular examination of the product, both at the level of the user by means of a visual control before each use and at the level of the competent person who carries out periodic examinations, is a pledge of security and safe service life of the product.
CONCLUSION
The service life of KRATOS SAFETY products is 10 years for all the products having at least one textile component and unlimited for products made of 100% metallic elements, if and only if the compulsory periodic examinations carried out by a competent person shall be made at least every 12 months (*) from the date of first put into use of the product.
This service life is independent of the storage period, however after a storage period of more than 5 years, we recommend carrying out a periodic examination before the first use.
KRATOS SAFETY at your service!