Fall Protection Equipment Date of Use vs. Date of Manufacture

Maintaining a safe working environment that complies with OSHA standards is a reality on all construction sites. When it comes to keeping accurate records of your safety equipment and fall protection gear, having the proper age of the equipment cataloged is of the utmost importance to comply with OSHA standards. A common misconception is whether your safety gear’s age should be recorded by its date of first use versus its manufacturing date.

All lanyards, harnesses, retractable lifelines, and other fall protection gear come with a tag attached for you to enter the date of first use. Utilizing these tags is especially important if your gear sits in storage for long periods of time before its initial use. Failure to use the write-in date appropriately will cause OSHA standards to revert back to the date of manufacture. While it is understandable that customers may want gear that was manufactured quite recently, the practice of recording the date of the product’s first use reinforces the point that the quality of the safety gear has not diminished since production. OSHA standards agree with this practice as well, so age of manufacture need not be a factor in your purchasing decision.

Harness Land is proud to carry a selection of fall protection equipment from reputable and trusted brands like Guardian, 3M, MSA, Elk River, and more. While we stand behind these products, proper maintenance of your safety gear will extend its shelf life long beyond its years-long warranty. Visit our fall protection maintenance page for more information!