Typically, in compliance with local authorities having jurisdiction e.g. OSHA, DOL, MOL, for life and safety, all suspended maintenance equipment supplied and installed must be inspected annually as a minimum requirement. A similar inspection shall be performed following any major alteration made to an existing installation. The building owner shall keep a certification record of each inspection and test required. The certification record shall include the date of the inspection, the signature of the person who performed the inspection, and the number or other identifiers of the building support structure and equipment that was inspected. This certification record shall be kept readily available for review by authorities and by the maintenance contractor. Pro-Bel maintains up-to-date inspection records of all Pro-Bel manufactured equipment/installations. All inspection data is recorded in the building owner’s/employer’s Equipment Manual & Inspection Log Book. The Log Book contains the necessary information to comply with all relevant State and Federal safety standards and will reduce both the design professional’s and owner’s legal exposure in the event of an accident. It is crucial that these documents be stored and readily available. Pro-Bel now has an online solution for document stores the Pro-Bel Customer Portal.
WHY INSPECTIONS?
OSHA and local authorities have jurisdiction and require all tie-back and lifeline anchors and other permanently installed suspended access equipment to be inspected annually as a minimum requirement. Pro-Bel Offers Building Owners and Property Managers a variety of comprehensive inspection programs specifically designed to ensure all fall protection devices are continuing to function as intended.
When exercising their respective mandates, OSHA and the various authorities place the responsibility for fall protection on building owners and/or employers and, by implication, the owner's agents, including Architects, Designers, Engineers, Consultants, Roofing Consultants, Design-builders, Product or Equipment Manufacturers, and Contractors. It is a shared responsibility regarding worker safety, and all parties involved are exposed to risk and liability. In the unfortunate event of an accident, proper documentation is Paramount for things such as intended system design through control documents such as engineered drawings, inspection reports, as well as safe work plans and procedures and training; they are critical to reduce risk, liability, and ultimately ensure a safe workplace for those working at heights.
In addition to the mandatory OSHA requirement for annual inspections, the ANSI-I14 Standard requires suspended maintenance anchorages to be re-certified when re-roofing or renovating (pertinent to the window cleaning system) or at periods not to exceed 10 years.
The owner's best defense is the documentation showing compliance with applicable codes and standards. Our qualified and competent inspectors document all findings in our inspection reports, which will be stored in the equipment log book located on-site and available via our online portal. The logbook, containing the necessary information to comply with all relevant State, Provincial, and Federal laws and safety standards, will reduce the construction professional and the owner's legal exposure in the event of an accident.
"Building Owners and their operating agents shall provide window cleaning contractors with written assurance that the installation of structure has been inspected, tested and maintained by the requirement of the I-14.1 Standard, which puts significant emphasis on annual inspection." - ANSI / IWCA - Window Cleaning Safety Standard.