Take care of your fall protection equipment, people! Frequent maintenance of Guardian products will help to extend product lifetime, and help ensure product functionality is maximized. We receive a lot of questions about how to best maintain equipment. Please see the information below for helpful instructions for equipment care.
Can a Guardian Full Body Harness Be Washed?
Hand washing with mild soap and water is perfectly acceptable. Do not throw it in a washing machine and do not dry clean! Cleaners consisting of strong acids or bases must never be used.
The Buckles on My Harness Are Rusting a Little. Do I Need to Throw Them Away?
If there are little rust spots on your hardware, ensure they still function properly, as deemed by your competent person. If the product passes inspection, you may definitely continue to use your Guardian harness. Inspection is key and make sure you document the inspection!
Can I Write On My Full Body Harness In Marker?
No. While simple pen ink will likely not damage webbing directly, there are other factors to consider when marking webbing. Pen tips, brushes, or other writing devices may damage webbing if excess pressure is used, or may grind in dirt or corrosive substances into webbing. Ink or paint may also cover up damage to webbing, making it difficult to notice during equipment inspection. Guardian provides customizable patches on harnesses that may be written on, but no webbing should ever be altered in any way.
Does My Guardian Self-Retracting Lifeline Need to Be Recertified?
Any self-retracting lifeline that was made after October 2009 does not need annual recertification. However, you must follow normal ANSI, OSHA, and Guardian inspection rules. If your self-retracting lifeline is in need of repair, please contact us so that we can help you find your nearest product repair center.
What Is the Shelf Life for a Guardian Full Body Harness? What is the ANSI/OSHA Rule on This?
ANSI and OSHA maintain that it is up to the manufacture to set the shelf life (“life expectancy”) for their products. For Guardian Fall Protection, the shelf life is five (5) years from the date of first use. Again, the key here is to follow inspection rules of ANSI, OSHA and Guardian.
What Happens If I Fall In My Guardian Personal Fall Arrest System?
You must remove those products from service as soon as possible and contact your competent person for inspection of these products. Guardian will replace your system components for free if you contact us and send back the product.*
Can I modify my Guardian Fall Protection Products?
No! Any ‘field’ modification of our products voids any warranty and may cause serious injury or death during use. Simply contact us if you need a product customized for your particular line of work.
If you have any other questions in regards to product care and maintenance, please contact our technical help experts.
* Permanent Horizontal Lifeline Systems are excluded from the Guardian Replacement Policy
