Section 408.10371. Test methods for personal fall arrest systems.

The following sets forth test procedures for personal  fall arrest systems as defined in the provisions of 29 C.F.R. S1910.129:

(a)   Lifelines, lanyards, and deceleration devices shall be attached to an anchorage and connected to the body belt or body harness in the same manner as they would be when used to protect employees.

(b)    The anchorage shall be rigid and shall not have a deflection or more than .04 inches (1 mm) when a force of 2,250 pounds (10 kn) is applied.

(c)   The frequency response of the load measuring  instrumentation  shall be 120 hz.

(d)   The test weight used in the strength and force tests shall be a rigid, metal cylindrical or torso-shaped object that has a girth of 38 inches, plus or minus 4 inches (96 cm, plus or minus 10 cm).

(e)   The lanyard or lifeline used to create the free-fall distance shall be supplied with the system or, in its absence, the least elastic lanyard or lifeline available shall be used with the system.

(f)   The test weight for each test shall be hoisted to the required level and shall be quickly released without having any appreciable motion imparted to it.

(g)    The system's performance shall be evaluated, taking into account the range of environmental conditions for which it is designed to be used.

(h)   After the test, the system need not be capable of further operation.

(i)    During the testing of all systems, a test weight of 300 pounds, plus or minus 5 pounds (135 kg, plus or minus 2.5 kg), shall be used. (See subdivision (d) of this rule).

(j)   The test consists of dropping the test weight once. A new  unused system shall be used for each test.

(k)   For a lanyard system, the lanyard length shall be 6 feet, plus or minus 2 inches (1.83 m, plus or minus 5 cm), as measured from the fixed anchorage to the attachment on the body belt or body harness.

(l)    For a rope-grab-type deceleration system, the length of the lifeline above the centerline of the grabbing mechanism to the lifeline's anchorage point shall not be more than 2 feet (0.61 m).

(m)   For a lanyard system, for a system that has a deceleration device which does not automatically limit the free-fall distance to 2 feet (0.61 m) or less, and for a system that has a deceleration device that has a connection distance of more than 1 foot  (0.3 m), measured between the centerline of the lifeline and the attachment point to the body belt or harness, the test weight shall be rigged to free-fall a distance of 7.5 feet (2.3 m) from a point that is 1.5 feet (46 cm) above the anchorage point to its hanging location (6 feet below the anchorage). The test weight shall fall without interference, obstruction, or hitting the floor or ground during the test. In some cases, a nonelastic wire lanyard of sufficient length may need to be added to the system, for  test  purposes, to create the necessary free-fall distance.

(n)   For a deceleration device system that has an integral lifeline or lanyard that automatically limits the free-fall distance to 2 feet (0.61 m) or less, the test weight shall be rigged to free-fall a distance of 4 feet (1.22 m).

(o)   Any weight that detaches from the belt or harness constitutes a failure of the strength test.

(p)    A force test consists of dropping the respective test weight specified in subdivision (q)(i) or (r)(i) of this rule once. A new, unused system shall be used for each test.

(q)   All of the following provisions apply to force tests for a lanyard system:

(i)   A test weight of 220 pounds, plus or minus 3 pounds (100 kg, plus or minus 1.6 kg), shall be used. (See subdivision (d) of this rule).

(ii)   Lanyard length shall be 6 feet, plus or minus  2  inches   (1.83  m, plus or minus

5  cm),  as  measured  from  the  fixed  anchorage  to  the attachment on the body belt or body harness.

(iii)   The test weight shall fall free from the anchorage   level  to  its hanging location, a total of 6 feet (1.83 m) free-fall distance, without interference, obstruction, or hitting the floor or ground during the test.

(r)   Both of the following provisions apply to force tests for  all systems other than a lanyard system:

(i)   A test weight of 220 pounds, plus or minus 3 pounds (100 kg, plus or minus 1.6 kg), shall be used. (See subdivision (d) of this rule).

(ii)    The free-fall distance to be used in the test shall be the maximum fall distance physically permitted by the system during normal use conditions, up to a maximum free-fall distance for the test weight of  6 feet (1.83 m), except as follows:

(a)   For a deceleration system that has a connection link or lanyard, the test weight shall free-fall a distance equal to the connection distance, which is  the  distance measured between the centerline of the lifeline and the attachment point to the body belt or harness.

(b)   For a deceleration device system that has an integral lifeline or lanyard that automatically limits the free-fall distance to 2   feet  (0.61 m) or less, the test weight shall

free-fall a distance  equal  to  that permitted by the system in normal use. For example, to test a system that has a self-retracting lifeline or lanyard, the test weight shall be supported and the system allowed to retract the lifeline or lanyard as it would in normal use. The test weight would then be released and the force and deceleration distance measured.

(s)   A system fails the force test if the recorded maximum arresting force is more than 1,260 pounds (15.6 kn) when using a body belt, or is more than 2,520 pounds (11.2 kn) when using a body harness.

(t)  The maximum elongation and deceleration distance shall be recorded during the force test.

(u)   All of the following provisions apply to deceleration device tests:

(v) A deceleration device shall be evaluated or tested under the environmental conditions, such as rain, ice, grease, dirt, or type of lifeline, for which the device is designed.

(ii)    A rope-grab-type deceleration device shall be moved on a lifeline 1,000 times over the same length or line distance of not less than 1 foot (30.5 cm), and  the mechanism shall lock each time unless the device is permanently marked to indicate the type of lifelines that must be used, several types of lifelines that have different diameters  and  different materials shall be used to test the device.

(iii)     The locking mechanism of self-activating-type deceleration devices that is designed for more than 1 arrest shall lock each of 1,000 times as it would in normal service.

History: 1994 AACS.