How often should your rooftop anchors
receive recertification?
By Gus Strats – Summit Anchor Company, Inc. July 6th, 2022
Edited by – Keisha Winston
Since November 20, 2017 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has required rooftop anchorages used for rope descent systems (RDS) to be tested and certified. Below are details regarding this requirement.
How often are anchorages required to be recertified?
According to OSHA’s regulation, anchorages used for RDS must be recertified by testing at periods not to exceed 10 years. However, at least two other standards require recertification of anchorages and fall protection systems that include anchorages at periods not to exceed five years.
For instance, the latest A120 Requirements for Powered Platforms for Building Maintenance, provided by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), requires the testing of anchors using epoxy or adhesive fasteners be tested and certified at periods not to exceed five years.Additionally, the American National Standards Institute’s ANSI/ASSE Z359-2016 requires testing and recertification of active fall protection systems that include anchorages not exceed five years.
Should I have the anchorages at my buildings recertified at five- or 10-year intervals?
While ASME and ANSI standards do not have the same force of OSHA regulations, these organizations’ standards are viewed as an accepted basis of care. OSHA often draws from these voluntary consensus standards to develop new regulations. Additionally, OSHA field officers can cite these voluntary standards when no OSHA regulation exists.
Considering that anchorages are required to be inspected annually, Summit Anchor suggests that building owners test and recertify all anchorages at intervals not to exceed five years.
*References
- A120-Safety Requirements for Powered Platforms for Building Maintenance.
- OSHA Subpart D, Rope Descent Systems-Anchorages
- ANSI/ASSE Z359.6-2016 – Specifications and Design Requirements for Active Fall Protection Systems
- ANSI/IWCA I.14.1 Window Cleaning Safety Standard
A) — A120-Safety Requirements for Powered Platforms for Building Maintenance.
3.1.7.5.2 Maintenance Inspections and Tests
- All adhesive anchor assemblies shall be tested in the field at intervals not exceed 5 years.
- The test procedure and results of the test shall be certified by a registered professional engineer. The test shall be to ensure anchor integrity and shall not be tests for shock, energy, or other lifeline loads.
B) — OSHA Subpart D-Walking-Working Surfaces
(b) Rope descent systems — (1) Anchorages. (i) Before any rope descent system is used, the building owner must inform the employer, in writing that the building owner has identified, tested, certified, and maintained each anchorage so it is capable of supporting at least 5,000 pounds (268 kg), in any direction, for each employee attached. The information must be based on an annual inspection by a qualified person and certification of each anchorage by a qualified person, as necessary, and at least every 10 years.
C) — ANSI/ASSE Z359.6-2016 – Specifications and Design Requirements for Active Fall Protection Systems.
3.3.1.3 A statement shall be made stipulating how frequently the system shall be inspected and re-certified. Periods between rectification shall not exceed 5 years.
E3.3.1.3 Regardless of the time period specified between recertification, active fall protection systems should be inspected by the authorized person prior to each use and by a qualified person or competent person at least annually in accordance with ANSI/ASSE Z359.2.
D) — ANSI/IWCA I.14.1 Window Cleaning Safety Standard
9.1.9 Anchorages shall be inspected annually by a qualified person. Anchorages shall be re-certified when re-roofing or renovating (pertinent to the window cleaning system) or at periods not to exceed 10 years. The report of this inspection shall be included in the building’s log book. If during the anchorage’s inspection an area of suspicion is identified, a test procedure, if necessary, shall be preformed under the approval of a registered professional engineer.
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