What type of inspection is crucial for fall arrest equipment before use?

The type of inspection that is crucial for fall arrest equipment before use is a visual inspection. This inspection allows the user to identify any visible damage or wear that could compromise the safety and effectiveness of the equipment, such as frayed straps, worn stitching, rust, or cracks in locking mechanisms. Ensuring that all components are intact and functional is vital for maintaining safety standards and preventing accidents while working at heights.

While other types of inspections, such as weight load and functionality inspections, play important roles in ensuring the equipment performs correctly, they typically follow the visual inspection. Weight load inspections verify that the equipment can handle specified loads, and functionality inspections ensure that the equipment operates as intended. Installation inspection focuses on how the equipment is set up, which is also important, but none of these are as immediate and vital to detect visible defects before each use as the visual inspection is.