Building Owners and property managers must certify their roof anchors within one year!

OSHA has revised and updated its general industry standards on walking-working surfaces to prevent and reduce workplace falls, as well as other injuries and fatalities associated with window cleaning and suspended stage work.

Significant changes are included for fall protection systems, including identified, tested, certified, and maintained each anchorage. The rule becomes effective on January 17, 2017, and will affect all Pro-Bel systems throughout the USA except for California and New York. It’s important to contact the Pro-Bel inspection department at 1-800-461-0575. Please note that certification of Pro-Bel systems can only be performed by Pro-Bel or a Pro-Bel-authorized agent.

OSHA addressed scaffolds and rope descent systems, the second-largest category of compliance costs. The final standard provides greater specificity than the proposal regarding the need for proper rigging, including sound anchorages and tiebacks.

The final rule at § 1910.27(b)(1)(i) and (ii) states that 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 (22.2 kN) in any direction, for each employee attached and, moreover, that the employer must ensure that no employee uses any anchorage before the employer has obtained written information from the building owner that each anchorage meets the requirements of paragraph (b)(1)(i).

Finally, the employer must keep the information on building anchorages for the duration of the job. The information must be based on an annual inspection conducted by a qualified person, with each anchorage certified by a qualified person, as necessary, but at least every 10 years. As described earlier in this cost analysis, OSHA assumed that building owners and employers would comply with this requirement by scheduling periodic inspections and certifications of building anchorages.

Feel free to contact Marc Lebel, CEO, @ 1800-461-0575