During storage, transport and use personal protective equipment (PPE) for fall arrest may come into contact with chemical substances. While being transported, for example, in a car PPE may come into close proximity with engine oil, spare batteries or AdBlue. When used in industrial climbing, contact with chemical substances is also an issue, for example when cleaning special equipment or facilities or when handling motorized tools while climbing trees. Plastics are particularly affected by damage, as they are far more susceptible to chemical effects than metals. We want to address the question of how chemicals affect textile PPE and which substances are to be regarded as particularly critical.