Safety audit — The unusual cases

Vertic’Alps Expertise carries out safety audits of activities and equipment that do not fit within a single standard.

We also provide an independent opinion on an activity's or equipment's overall safety, examining its operation, surroundings and conditions of use and management.

These assignments often concern uncommon equipment, unusual installations or original combinations of activities: our unusual cases.

At Vertic’Alps, these are inspections we particularly enjoy. They require an understanding of each installation's specific features and a broad range of technical, standards-related and operational knowledge.

Since 2012, the variety of equipment inspected and situations encountered on site has shaped this experience. We combine this knowledge to understand the issues specific to each activity, identify risks and assess the safety measures in place.

For each assignment, we define the audit scope and relevant assessment references, drawing on applicable requirements, the manufacturer's specifications and an installation-specific risk analysis.

Our work includes:

• A documentary examination: manufacturer's documentation, assembly and operating instructions, strength and stability substantiation, and monitoring records.

• An on-site visual inspection: condition of equipment, supports, connections, fixings, access, protective measures and clearances.

• A risk analysis of the activity: identification of hazards associated with intended use and reasonably foreseeable situations, including falls, collisions, entrapment and interactions between users.

• An examination of operating arrangements: access conditions, intended users, capacities, instructions, supervision, upkeep and rescue arrangements, within the agreed scope.

The report specifies the references used to assess the equipment and distinguishes deviations from applicable requirements from recommendations arising from our risk analysis.

A debriefing at the end of the assignment explains the observations and priority corrective actions.

We also share our analysis of the activity's risks on the inspected site, based on field experience and lessons from varied installations and settings.

This discussion focuses in particular on situations and risks not explicitly covered by standards, so that we can discuss areas requiring attention and improvement measures suited to the site.

Following our assignment, we provide:

• A summary of priority findings.

• A detailed audit report in PDF format, specifying the scope examined, the references used, our observations and the recommended measures.

• A safety opinion covering the audited scope, where the items examined allow a conclusion to be reached.

A favourable opinion is subject to resolving findings that compromise safety and providing the necessary substantiation, particularly regarding the strength and stability of the structures used.

The document list is defined according to the installation and assignment scope. It may include:

• The manufacturer's documentation, including drawings and assembly, operating, inspection and maintenance instructions.

• Strength and stability substantiation: structural calculation reports, test reports and technical documents for materials and connections.

• Description of the activity, intended users, capacities and proposed restrictions.

• Procedures and instructions relating to reception, supervision, upkeep and rescue.

• Previous inspection reports and follow-up of corrective actions.

• Documents concerning modifications, repairs and maintenance operations.

• Available incident and accident feedback relevant to the risk analysis.

Construction and assembly work must be complete. The equipment and structural parts to be examined must be accessible.

For a temporary or event installation, the audit is carried out in the intended operating configuration.

A person familiar with the installation and its operation accompanies the inspector during the assignment.