Standards Insider

Does ANSI Certify Fall Protection Equipment?

Manufacturers Must Test Equipment in an ISO-Accredited Lab

By Randall Wingfield

The sale of fall protection equipment is a multibillion-dollar industry. This has led to some tremendous advancements in fall protection technology, but it has also led to a feeding frenzy for equipment manufacturers some good, some not so good. As an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing laboratory, Gravitec Systems Inc. has seen firsthand the failures of equipment bearing the ANSI Z359 marking. These failures no doubt would have caused serious injury or fatalities to workers at heights. I'm not speaking of one-off anomalies, but complete product lines that have been manufactured incorrectly and would result in failure or maximum arrest forces far beyond the legal limit of 1,800 lb. Yes, all this from equipment bearing an ANSI label.

How could that be? Doesn't ANSI certify the equipment? Contrary to popular belief, ANSI does not certify fall protection equipment. A label stating that the equipment meets an ANSI standard is often misinterpreted to mean that ANSI has tested, approved or certified that piece of equipment. Rather, it is the manufacturers that are required to test equipment to the requirements of the applicable standard and label the equipment accordingly.

ANSI/ASSE Standard Provides Key Guidance

To help manufacturers and bring uniformity to the testing of fall protection products, ANSI has approved ANSI/ASSE Z359.7-2011, Qualification and Verification Testing of Fall Protection Products (downloadable for free at www.asse.org/shoponline/z359-7form.php). The standard joins the family of fall protection standards that comprise the ANSI Z359 Fall Protection Code. Under this standard, equipment manufactured and bearing the ANSI label will be tested in an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory. The standard empowers consumers to ask for "testing certificates" to verify that their equipment has been properly tested.

Therefore, manufacturers must maintain documentation verifying that equipment bearing the ANSI Z359 marking has been tested by an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory. Under this standard, all testing laboratories, including third-party or manufacturer, must be accredited as an ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory. This requirement will greatly improve the consistency and quality of fall protection equipment testing and is a giant leap forward in improving worker safety at heights.

To ensure that users remain a driving force for standards compliance, they are encouraged to request testing certificates from the manufacturer. By verifying testing, users can be confident that their equipment has been tested in an ISO/IEC 17025 lab.

In the past, there was no detailed information for minimum laboratory requirements; no requirement to identify or document testing; no requirement for ongoing or quality control tests; and no requirement to supply the user with verification test data on the product. ANSI/ASSE Z359.7-2011 works to bring standardization to conformance testing of fall protection products, and it aims to reduce questionable interpretations of how equipment is tested, how data are collected, how frequently a product is tested and how test results are provided to purchasers.

Implementation of the standard aims to increase consumer confidence in products tested within the Fall Protection Code. Although the standard will not prevent counterfeit or fraudulent claims, it will provide consumers an avenue to verify the testing claims and conformance of fall protection products to applicable ANSI standards. It will also provide consumers with an avenue to receive testing certificates (some pieces of equipment, such as a personal energy-absorbing lanyard, may have more than six test certificates) that prove the product has met all applicable tests.

It is important to note that many reputable equipment manufacturers have quality control programs in place and participate in third-party testing. However, many others do not. Additionally, many manufacturers are still testing to defunct standards. It is not uncommon to see equipment being tested to Z359.1-1999 or A10.14, both obsolete.

To consistently and continually strive to protect workers at heights, standards and requirements must be regularly reviewed and improved. As the Z359 Accredited Standards Committee works toward replacing the Z359.1-2007 standard in its current form with individual equipment standards, consumers must ensure that their equipment has been tested to the most current standard. For example, the personal energy absorber section of Z359.1-2007 has been replaced by Z359.13. Although the manufacturer should ensure that it is labeling and testing to the current standard, ultimately it is incumbent upon consumers to ensure that the equipment they are using has been tested to the most current Z359 standard.

The standard also explains how fall protection component testing to Z359 standards will be performed and outlines proper procedures and documentation practices for testing. It establishes requirements for third-party and manufacturer testing laboratories performing compliance testing on Z359 products and requires that laboratories keep design, performance and testing documentation as well as perform ongoing verification testing.

Becoming an ISO/IEC 17025-accredited testing facility is not easy. These facilities must undergo annual audits to retain accreditation and ensure competency of testing protocols. Complaints to the accrediting body would bring that laboratory under scrutiny. Currently, purchasers of fall protection equipment who are victims of inaccurate testing or questionable interpretations of ANSI standards have no recourse. By requiring the use of an ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory, users will have access to test results as well as a methodology to question the laboratory through the accrediting body.

With ANSI/ASSE Z359.7, the entire Z359 series will be subject to its requirements. As Z359 standards are written, revised or reaffirmed, each product standard will require qualification and verification testing conducted by an ISO laboratory.

Conclusion

With new and improved technology, the Fall Protection Code is continually changing. Because there is no watchdog for product conformance to ANSI standards, customers must make sure their equipment is compliant with the most current standards. They can achieve this by taking four steps:

1. Buy the code.
2. Reference the code.
3. Ask questions of their equipment supplier.
4. Require verification of compliance.

Protecting workers requires the combined commitment of manufacturers, standards advocates and equipment users who demand stringent requirements. With publication of ANSI Z359.7, consumers of fall protection equipment can now play a vital role in incentivizing manufacturers to test their equipment to the toughest standards.

Randall Wingfield is extensively involved in the continuing development of national standards for fall protection equipment and training. He chairs the ANSI Z359 Committee and is president of Gravitec Systems Inc., an engineering and training company specializing in fall protection and rescue. Wingfield is an associate member of ASSE's Puget Sound Chapter, as well as a board member and past president of International Society for Fall Protection.