Free harness & lanyard inspection checklist
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Free harness and lanyard inspection checklist (PDF-ready). Covers webbing, stitching, D-rings, buckles, shock absorber, labels and expiry. Download free.
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See the first part of the harness & lanyard inspection checklist below. Download the full version above.
What is a harness & lanyard inspection checklist?
A harness and lanyard inspection checklist is a form used to systematically examine every component of a fall protection harness and its connecting lanyard or self-retracting lifeline (SRL). The inspection covers webbing, stitching, D-rings, buckles, adjusters, labels, snap hooks, shock absorbers and expiry dates. Regular documented inspections by a competent person are essential to ensure that fall arrest equipment will perform as intended in the event of a fall. This template follows Australian Standards (AS/NZS 1891 series) and manufacturer guidelines for harness and lanyard inspection.
Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and serious injuries in Australia. A harness is the last line of defence when a worker falls, and a defective harness can fail catastrophically under the dynamic forces of a fall arrest. Documented inspections catch wear, damage and expiry before the equipment is relied upon, and the inspection record provides evidence of due diligence for audits, insurance requirements and regulator enquiries. AS/NZS 1891 sets specific criteria for the inspection, maintenance and retirement of industrial fall-arrest harnesses and lanyards. Manufacturers typically recommend formal inspection every six months by a competent person, in addition to pre-use checks by the wearer. Organisations that maintain a documented inspection register with serial-number traceability are better positioned to demonstrate compliance during regulator and insurance audits.
Learn more about compliance and inspections in MapTrack.
Benefits of using this harness & lanyard inspection checklist
- Life safety: catch damaged or worn components before the harness is relied on to arrest a fall.
- Regulatory compliance: meet WHS obligations and AS/NZS 1891 requirements for regular documented inspection of fall arrest equipment.
- Expiry tracking: ensure harnesses and lanyards are within their manufacturer service life and inspection intervals.
- Consistency: a standardised checklist ensures every component is checked, regardless of who performs the inspection.
- Audit trail: a signed inspection record supports safety audits, insurance requirements and regulator reviews.
- Defect history: maintaining a log of inspections per harness reveals wear patterns, helping you plan replacements and budget for fall protection equipment.
Benefits of digitising forms in MapTrack
When you digitise harness checklists in MapTrack, you get:
- Field users can easily scan a QR code to complete a form on mobile. Unlimited users.
- Automatically get alerts when faults are identified.
- Link every form digitally as a PDF to the relevant asset, location or person.
- Receive a digital PDF copy with every submission to your email.
- Ability to share forms digitally.
- Build conditional logic (show or hide questions based on answers).
- Take pictures or attach photos. Not possible with a paper-based form.
- Electronic signatures.
- Edit forms later without reprinting.
- Restrict permissions (who can view, complete or approve).
- Build forms with AI (describe what you need and MapTrack suggests the form).
- Escalate critical hazards instantly to safety managers via push notification.
- Maintain an auditable safety register that satisfies WHS regulator requests.
- Correlate incident trends across sites with built-in safety analytics.
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What to include in a harness & lanyard inspection checklist
This harness & lanyard inspection checklist covers 8 key areas:
- Equipment details: harness ID/serial, manufacturer, model, date of manufacture, date first used.
- Lanyard details: lanyard ID/serial, type (shock absorbing, SRL, restraint), length.
- Inspector details: name, competency, date.
- Harness inspection (P/F/N/A): webbing condition, stitching, D-rings, buckles and adjusters, chest strap, leg straps, labels and tags.
- Lanyard inspection (P/F/N/A): webbing/rope condition, snap hooks/carabiners, shock absorber status, SRL housing and retraction, expiry check.
- Overall result: Pass / Action Required / Fail (remove from service).
- Defects table: failed items, action taken and date.
- Inspector and supervisor sign-off: signatures with date.
How to use this harness & lanyard inspection checklist
- Record equipment details - harness serial number, manufacturer, model, dates. Do the same for the lanyard.: Note the serial number, manufacturer, model name, date of manufacture and date first used for both the harness and the lanyard or SRL. This data ties the inspection to the specific item and enables service life tracking across your fleet of fall protection equipment.
- Systematically inspect each harness component. Hold the webbing in both hands and flex it, looking for cuts, fraying, abrasion, burns or chemical damage. Check all stitching, D-rings, buckles and labels.: Work from the dorsal D-ring down each shoulder strap, across the chest strap and along both leg straps. Flex the webbing in short sections to expose hidden cuts or abrasion. Check every bar tack and stitched junction for broken or pulled threads. Inspect D-rings and buckles for corrosion, distortion or cracks.
- Inspect the lanyard - check webbing or rope, snap hooks (gate operation, locking), shock absorber (deployment indicator), and SRL housing and retraction.: For webbing lanyards, flex and visually inspect the full length. For rope lanyards, check for fraying, kinking or abrasion. Operate each snap hook gate to confirm it opens, closes and locks smoothly. Verify the shock absorber deployment indicator has not been activated. For SRLs, extend and retract the lifeline fully and check for smooth operation.
- Check expiry - confirm the equipment is within its manufacturer service life (typically 10 years from manufacture or 5 years from first use).: Cross-reference the manufacture date on the equipment label with the manufacturer stated service life. If the label is illegible or missing, the equipment must be removed from service. Record the calculated expiry date on the checklist so future inspectors can verify at a glance.
- If any item fails, record the defect, remove the equipment from service, and tag it as unserviceable. Do not return it to use until repaired or replaced.: Attach a red out-of-service tag to the item and physically separate it from serviceable equipment to prevent accidental use. Record the defect description and the action taken (sent for repair, condemned, replaced) on the checklist and in the asset register.
- Select the overall result, sign and date. Have the supervisor countersign.: A Pass means all components are in serviceable condition and within their service life. A Fail requires the item to be removed from service immediately. Sign and date the form, then have the site supervisor or safety officer countersign to confirm the inspection findings.
In MapTrack, you can digitise safety inspections and compliance forms. Each submission is stored as a timestamped PDF against the asset record.
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Back to download formHow often should you complete this checklist?
Workers should visually inspect their harness and lanyard before every use - a quick check for obvious damage, wear or missing components. A formal documented inspection (such as this checklist) should be completed by a competent person at least every 6 months, or more frequently as specified by the manufacturer. After any fall event, shock loading, or exposure to chemicals, heat or other damaging conditions, the equipment must be immediately removed from service and inspected before it can be returned to use. Always follow the manufacturer's inspection schedule and your organisation's safety management plan.
AS/NZS 1891.4 specifies that harnesses and lanyards must be formally inspected by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months, though most manufacturers recommend six-monthly formal inspections. Pre-use checks by the wearer before each use are also required.
Frequently asked questions
Applicable regulatory standards
This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:
- AS/NZS 1891.1 - Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices, Part 1: Harnesses and ancillary equipment
- AS/NZS 1891.4 - Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices, Part 4: Selection, use and maintenance
- WHS Regulations 2011 - Chapter 4, Part 4.4 (falls)
- Safe Work Australia - Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces
Need to digitise safety inspections and compliance forms?
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