Safety Measures: Everything You Need to Know About Anchor Point Testing

In the construction industry, when working on heights, the safety of workers should be of the utmost importance. Any contractor or builder should never make any compromise on the safety measures and anchor points are one of the most crucial parts of safety and thus they should be tested before they are used.

Here we are going to discuss some basic factors about anchor point and anchor point testing system that anyone should know before installing them.

Why Install Anchor Points?

Anchor points are generally used to provide secured support to the abseiling rigging. Today, all the high-rise commercial and office buildings have such anchor points to make the window cleaning or the maintenance process easily possible from the outside of the building with proper safety. If your building does not have the points, it is advisable to install the anchor points immediately.

How Does The Anchor Point System Work?

The anchor points can work in many ways. The main target of this equipment is to protect the workers from any accidental falls at the working sites. The anchor points may be installed on manufactured structures like buildings or any natural surface like any cliff face. The anchor points can function by decreasing the weight of the worker and his equipment from the structure. Or else it can hold on to their strength and at the same time absorb the level of energy generated by the fall.

How Often Should The Anchor Point Testing Be Done?

The testing frequency largely depends on what type of system you have installed in your building. But the safest recommendation would be to get an inspection for the anchor points, static lines, or the fall arrest in every 12 months. Most importantly, this inspection and tests should be performed mandatorily by some experienced and expert individual who knows how to use a properly calibrated test device.

Why Are Anchor Points Important?

The prime duty of the anchor points is to save people’s lives. People working outside the buildings at great heights are always exposed to the huge risk of falling. The anchor points play a vital role in connecting the tie-offs like lifelines and lanyards to ensure their security.

In some countries, taking these fall protection measures is a legal obligation whenever someone is working near the edges at a height of more than two meters. These anchor points are one of the most important parts of that fall protection system. And, the buildings must have them installed as a part of that regulation. However, the anchor points testing is also equally important within regular intervals.

Anchor Point Testing Certification

The roof anchor point devices do not require much maintenance. Once the device is installed in your building, there will be no need for maintenance except an anchor point testing every 6 to 12 months by some certified professional technician. There are a few renowned brands that also provide a proper safety certification by completely experienced and certified professionals to keep your workers protected.

The roof anchor points aim to ensure the safety of the staff, being a question of their life and death. Therefore, the comprehensive inspection done by certified professionals is very important. They first conduct a risk assessment, design a system layout, install the system, and then provide the certification.

Conclusion

Ideally, the adhesive anchored system and all the friction fits need to qualify roughly of about 750kg axial pull test to meet the minimum requirement of the apparatus and the substrate (rock or concrete). If the anchor fails to meet these requirements, it is because of the poor installation, concrete cancer, or an inconsistent rock quality. Therefore, regular inspections are a must.