BAXTER BYRD, Technical Writer, Pure Safety Group
Workers at height are often required to endure extreme environmental conditions. Whether that means daily triple- digit temperatures, dry and dusty air, or withstanding a driving rain (or snow) storm during a critical repair, knowing that the fall protection equipment you depend on will be there when you need it lets you focus on what matters most: the task at hand.
To ensure fall protection equipment will perform as needed across the wide spectrum of potential work environments, manufacturers subject gear to a specific battery of tests designed to push equipment to the limits -- and then some. Given self-retracting lanyards (SRLs) are ubiquitous on just about any jobsite these days, they are as good a place as any to begin understanding what is known in the industry as "conditioning tests" -- but first, a reminder:
SRLs are broken down into two performance- based categories: Class A and Class B. Class A SRLs must arrest a fall with less than 24 inches of lifeline deployment, maintain an average arrest force of 1,350 pounds or less, and generate a maximum arrest force of no more than 1,800 pounds. Class B SRLs must arrest a fall with less than 54 inches of lifeline deployment, maintain an average arrest force of 900 pounds or less, and generate a maximum arrest force of no more than 1,800 pounds. These numbers form the basis of comparison for understanding the effects of laboratory condition testing.
Per ANSI Z359.14-14 (4.2.8), SRLs must be subjected to three different types of conditioning: heat (the SRL must be placed in a heated chamber at 130 degrees F at 85-percent humidity for two hours), cold (the SRL must be placed in a refrigerated chamber at -40 degrees F for two hours), and wet (the SRL, with the lifeline fully extracted, must be sprayed continuously with water at the rate of 18 gallons per hour or be completely submerged in water for three hours). After it is conditioned (a new SRL may be used for each test), the SRL must be dynamically tested within 90 seconds of being removed from the conditioning chamber and have its performance recorded.
ANSI does not explicitly state what to expect from conditioning tests, only that certain performance benchmarks are not to be exceeded. In other words, if a conditioned SRL does not show any performance difference compared to a nonconditioned (ambient temperature) SRL, it's just fine. If a heat-conditioned SRL performs slightly better than a cold-conditioned one, as long as it doesn't exceed ANSI's requirements, that is also acceptable.
ANSI's requirements for conditioned SRLs are: Class A SRLs must arrest a fall within 24 inches (the same as nonconditioned) with an average arrest force not exceeding 1,575 pounds, and a Class B SRL must arrest a fall within 54 inches (also the same as nonconditioned) with an average arrest force not exceeding 1,125 pounds. In a nutshell, the only acceptable difference between a conditioned and nonconditioned SRL is that the average arrest force can rise by a maximum of 225 pounds. For both classes of SRL and for all conditioning tests, the maximum arrest force must remain below the nominal 1,800 pounds required during ambient temperature testing.
Condition testing, like many aspects of the research and development process of fall protection products, goes largely unnoticed and unappreciated because it lives behind the impact-resistant doors of the testing facility. However, that doesn't mean it's not an important part of that often-unseen world and that it doesn't have any relevance in the real world. To the contrary, the next time you are atop a structure and find yourself commenting on the heat or the cold, the sun or the rain, take a moment to remember that the SRL attached to your back is ready -- no matter what Mother Nature throws at it.
Baxter Byrd is a technical writer with Pure Safety Group, the world's largest independent provider of fall protection equipment and training. His primary mission is translating dense regulatory standards to increase understanding and practical applicability. When he's not writing, he's reading. Byrd holds a B.A. in Communication from the University of Washington.
For more information, visit www. puresafetygroup.com or call (800) 466-6385.
