Page 38 - OHS, FebruaryMarch 2023

FALL PROTECTION and that focused on essentially the deceleration distance during an overhead drop for a Class A or Class B device. ThThe new iteration’s Class 1 and Class 2 categories focus more on the potential risk or exposure. They’re more focused on, for example, if a user is anchoring off below the D-ring — that would be more of an application consideration. ANSI is trying to eliminate the misuse of product. When a user takes a Class A device or even a Class B device that’s not suitable for a leading-edge application, and then anchors it offff at their feet, at that point they’re endangering their life, if they take a fall. What the ANSI committee is trying to do is correct that, and ensure that, when a user has a leading-edge fall hazard exposure, then they’re using suitable equipment for that application. The latest iteration of .14 is simplifying the process by essentially saying a Class 1 device is overhead only, and a Class 2 device is by default for leading edge or anytime you tie off below the user D-ring. So now what will happen is anybody that is tying offff below their D-ring will be required to be in a Class 2 device, which is by default leading edge. And that should eliminate a lot of the misuse of products which is ultimately responsible for a lot of the fatalities with respect to fall protection. OH&S Magazine: Bearing that in mind, how can companies ensure that they’re providing their workers with equipment that meets the necessary standards? Tavis: It’s definitely a “buyer beware” market. Unfortunately, there’s no ANSI police, so it is essentially an honor system with respect to manufacturing. For example, you can have a company that manufactures soft goods, which would be something like lanyards and harnesses, and they might source the devices from a third party, so they’re not the manufacturer of record for the devices. Then you’ll have manufacturers like FallTech, for example. We make everything in-house, and even the products that we spec, we own the specification. So, from that standpoint, we’re actually manufacturing all of our products from top to bottom. So, there is a mix of true manufacturers, straight importers and resellers, and then companies who do some manufacturing but also do a lot of importing and reselling. The only way for a user to really determine whether or not their manufacturer is actually following ANSI is to look for the ISO credentials on the test reports. Now, a manufacturer is required to produce a declaration of conformity (DOC), and once the manufacturer produces the DOC, that DOC is required to come with the ISO credentialing agency. So that’s the third-party authority that legitimizes that document. And again, unfortunately, most manufacturers don’t produce DOCs, and of the ones that do, even fewer still actually include the credentialing agency stamp. If you really want to audit your fall protection manufacturer, you want to look at their DOC document, and within that DOC document, you want to identify the credentialing agency. At that point, you can audit the credentialing agency via its website and determine whether or not the document is legitimate. David Kopf is the new editor of Occupational Health & Safety, and can be reached at dkopf@1105media.com. MAXimizing Health & Safety Guaranteed. INDUSTRIAL VACUUM CLEANERS Portable • Continuous-Duty • Central Systems ATEX certified, compressed-air operated, for high volume recovery of flammable liquid, combustible dust & reactive powder in Class I & II hazardous area locations. Combustible Dust 55-Gallon Flammable Liquid Combustible Dust Food / Pharma 30-Gallon Reactive Metal Powder Combustible Dust 15-Gallon Fill Out RFQ! VAC-U-MAX.COM All Models 3rd Party Certified 38 Occupational Health & Safety | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2023 www.ohsonline.com