A higher standard for fall protection
Falls in the workplace are a major cause of death and injury. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2004 there were 822 deaths and 255,600 serious injuries. Additionally hundreds of thousands of minor injuries go unreported. In nearly every case the fatalities and injuries are preventable. It was becoming apparent that the older guidelines and safety standards were inadequate. As a result a broad coalition of government agencies, large corporations, industry suppliers, trainers and safety consultants have been cooperating to update the documented safety standards. The proposed new standards are referred to as Z359.1 and once agreed to, will be recognized by ANSI.
The ANSI Z359.1 standards are multi-dimensional and include sections on the responsibilities of employers, inspectors and employees; the importance of training; effective procedures and the standards for
equipment.
The proposed new ANSI Z 359.1-07ED standard significantly changes the specifications for fall protection hardware. In particular the strength of components has to be significantly greater when they are loaded along different axes. This is important because in the workplace components can get snagged or twisted out of the correct alignment. The standards also call for components to have adequate resistance from salt spray corrosion.
The gate face loads are increased from 220lbs to 3,600 lbs, side loads are increased from 350lbs to 3,600lbs and minor axis loads are added for non-integral product. These load axes are defined as follows:
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PenSafe's commitment to product quality and safety
Every PenSafe employee is committed to delivering products that are high quality and safe. We understand that every part we produce has the potential to save a life and therefore our products must meet the highest standards. We implement the ISO 9001 certification, which streamlines all facets of our business, and has formalized a continuous improvement program. |  |
All of our new products are rigorously tested during the design stage to ensure conformance to the appropriate national and international standards (i.e. CSA Z-259.12, ANSI Z 359.1-07ED, NFPA, and EN 362). Testing during production begins at the raw material stage and occurs throughout the manufacturing process. All test data is traceable to the end product. Methods of test include:
• Magnetic particle inspection
• Dimensional verification
• Eddy current inspection
• Hardness testing
• Tensile testing
• Visual Analysis
• Functional analysis (where applicable)
• Liquid penetration inspection
Dimensional verification is executed through the use of ultra modern equipment. Included in our array of testing equipment is a CMM (Co-ordinate Measuring Machine). This type of modern measurement has extremely high accuracy and is fully programmable for efficient repeatability. When used in the design phase, prototype parts can be digitized and these computer-generated images are used in the analysis of the part. All product shipments include a "certificate of test" for each part number. The document shows the specifications that the part meets or exceeds and is our written guarantee of integrity.
How to test and clean your equipment
Product maintenance can be done by following our Functional Testing and Field Cleaning documents.
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