PPE COURSES

What is PPE? - Definition, Important Facts and Consequences

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn to provide protection from hazards that could cause serious injuries or be fatal. PPE includes respiratory protection devices as used by the fire brigade, X-ray aprons, hearing protection, cut protection clothing, safety footwear and other similar equipment. PPE is used to provide fall protection for people working at height.

Personal fall protection equipment is used by scaffolders, roofers, fitters, special police units, the fire service and work-at-height rescue teams; i.e. by people who are exposed to dangerous heights at work or who work underground.

Should personal fall protection equipment fail then the wearer risks life and limb. The legal requirements governing the production, sale, placing on the market and use of PPE are accordingly strict. Anyone putting the equipment on the market is responsible for ensuring their PPE works perfectly. In addition, the Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (German Social Accident Insurance – DGUV) standard 112-1 198/199 (formerly: BGR 198/199) stipulates an annual maintenance interval for personal fall protection equipment. Maintenance may be carried out by qualified personnel, who have been trained in skills that meet DGUV 312-906 "Selection, training and certification of skilled personnel for personal protective equipment for fall protection".

What most people don't know is that climbing equipment available for hire – whether it's free or for a charge – from mountain guides, climbing walls, high ropes courses, climbing associations, mountain guides and mountaineering schools, sport shops and tourism organisations is also classed as personal fall protection equipment.This means that it is subject to the same legal requirements as occupational health and safety PPE. Anyone supplying personal fall protection equipment to a third party as part of a commercial operation, which is not in perfect technical condition, is too old or damaged is acting negligently. Any organisation not adequately documenting that PPE has been properly checked and issued could have problems providing the required verification.

Training courses to become qualified personnel for personal fall protection equipment to meet DGUV 312-906 are not new.

However, these training courses focus mostly on personal fall protection equipment for occupational safety. This is why EDELRID is providing training to become qualified personnel for personal fall protection equipment for businesses in the sport and leisure sector. In addition to the standardised DGUV 312-906 course content, we focus on fall protection PPE for sports and leisure activities.

Course Contents, Dates and Registration

Seminar for personal protective equipment with fall protection with additional PPE qualifications for the sports and leisure sector

Current Course Dates and Registration Form for 2017 (PDF)
Accommodation recommendations for the area of Isny (PDF)

Training courses to become qualified personnel for personal fall protection equipment to meet DGUV 312-906 are not new. However, these training courses focus mostly on personal fall protection equipment for occupational safety.

This is why in December 2014 EDELRID started providing training seminars to become qualified personnel for personal fall protection equipment for businesses in the sport and leisure sector. In addition to the standardised DGUV 312-906 course content, we focus on fall protection PPE for sports and leisure activities.

Course Objectives

The objective of the seminar is to provide sufficient knowledge in the field of personal protective equipment with fall protection and to make participants familiar with the relevant national industrial safety regulations, accident prevention regulations, DGUV rules and generally accepted engineering standards (e.g. DIN / EN standards) so that participants can assess the proper condition and know about the proper use of personal protective equipment with fall protection.

Requests regarding the content of the course will be considered and included in the seminar. Bringing personal equipment to the seminar for discussion and inspection during the course is encouraged.

Seminar location and duration

The seminars take place in our classrooms in Isny and have a duration of 2 days (starting respectively at 8 am, 30 minute lunch break, end around 6-7 pm).

Course Dates and Registration

Course Contents

Rules, Regulation, Norms:

National health and safety regulations, EG guidelines PPE
Technical regulations (e.g. DIN / EN standards); BGR 198, BGR 199
CE Marking, Norm- and Certification Process

Appropriate handling of PPE with fall protection:

Application fields for PPE
Construction Types, Evaluation, Selection and Components of PPE
Proper handling, storage, cleaning and maintenance
Manufacturer guidelines and their implementation (e.g. product information)

Inspection, evaluation:

Materials and Construction
Inspection and evaluation by a qualified person
Organization and documentation of the inspection process

Practical Inspection:

Construction of PPE components
Assessment and explanation of various faults and damages
Destructive evaluation of faults

Product Areas:

EN Harness Systems (EN 12277, EN 1497, EN 1498, EN 358, EN 361, EN 813)
Ropes (EN 1891, EN 892, EN 564)
Connecting Elements (EN 362, EN 12275)
Connecting Elements and Slings (EN 354, EN 566, EN 565, EN 795)
Energy Absorbers (EN 355, EN 958)
Rope Devices (EN 12841, EN 1496, EN 15151, EN 341, EN 353-2, EN 567, EN 12278)
Helmets (EN 12492, EN 397)
Accessories (Steel Ropes, Nuts (chocks), rope clamps, crampons, ice axes, ice screws)