The “ANSI/ASSP Z359 Fall Protection and Arrest Standards Package” standard, published jointly by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), consists of a series of standards developed to provide businesses with a comprehensive resource to protect workers at height.
Falls continue to be a leading cause of workplace injuries and deaths. The ANSI/ASSP Z359 suite includes the following standards:
ANSI/ASSE Z359.0 Definitions and Nomenclature Used for Fall Protection and Fall Arrest
This standard was developed to serve as a reference for all uses of terminology and definitions in the ANSI/ASSP Z359 series of standards for fall protection programs, systems, and equipment.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.1 Drop Protection Code
This standard provides minimum instructions for processes, systems, and components used in a managed fall protection program and establishes roles for other ANSI/ASSP Z359 standards. The ANSI/ASSE Z359.1 standard for fall protection was the first American national standard for personal fall arrest systems in non-construction applications and has been significantly expanded since then. Today, ANSI/ASSP Z359 standards have been published for equipment, training, and other compliance concerns, which together form the fall protection code.
The ANSI/ASSP Z359.1 standard is a set of standards for processes used to protect workers at height in a managed fall protection program, covering: program management, system design, training, qualification and testing, equipment, components, and system specifications. This standard specifies these requirements and specifies their roles and interdependencies in the fall protection code.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.2 Fall Protection Program Requirements
This standard describes the criteria and requirements for the employer's fall protection program, including policies, responsibilities, training, examination and identification of fall hazards, procedures, control of fall hazards, rescue planning, program implementation, incident investigation, and evaluation of program effectiveness.
The purpose of this standard is to assist employers in identifying, assessing, eliminating and/or controlling fall hazards in the workplace. This standard specifies that eliminating a fall hazard or preventing exposure to a fall hazard is the most effective control measure. Preventing exposure to fall hazards may include modifying the structure, isolating an authorized person from the hazard, modifying a process, modifying equipment or using specific work procedures.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.3 Safety Requirements for Tie Ropes and Positioning Tie Ropes
This standard describes the requirements for the design, performance, qualification testing, test methods, marking, instruction, training, maintenance and decommissioning of tethers and positioning tethers for users in the 59 to 140 kg capacity range.
The purpose of this standard is to specify minimum requirements for the design, testing and marking of belays and positioning lanyards and is intended for use by manufacturers, distributors, purchasers, regulators, users and certifying bodies of belays and positioning lanyards.
Before any safety lanyard or positioning safety lanyard may bear this standard marking or be shown in any way to comply with this standard, all applicable requirements of this standard shall be met. Such compliance shall be established in accordance with the requirements specified in ANSI/ASSP Z359.7 Standard for Qualification and Verification Testing of Fall Protection Products.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.4 Safety Requirements for Assisted Rescue and Self-Rescue Systems, Subsystems, and Components
This standard specifies requirements for the performance, design, marking, qualification, instruction, training, use, maintenance and decommissioning of connectors, safety belts, safety lines, anchor connectors, winches, descent control devices, tackle blocks and self-retracting safety lines with integral rescue capability, including rescue systems used in pre-planned self-rescue and assisted rescue applications for one to two persons.
The purpose of this standard is to establish criteria to ensure the suitability of the equipment and methods described herein for use in rescue situations where there is a risk of falling.
Rescue system elements, components, or subsystems meeting the requirements of this standard cannot be demonstrated as compliant with, or used in, personal fall arrest systems claiming compliance with ANSI/ASSP Z359.1 or other applicable Z359 standards unless the requirements of those standards are additionally met.
ANSI/ASSE Z359.6 Specifications and Design Requirements for Active Fall Protection Systems
This standard is designed for engineers who have been trained as qualified persons and have expertise in the design of active fall protection systems. This standard specifies requirements for the design and performance of complete active fall protection systems, including travel restraint and vertical and horizontal fall arrest systems.
This standard was developed as a consensus document to provide uniform application in the design of active fall protection systems. The purpose of this standard is to provide specification and design requirements for conventional active fall protection systems. This standard covers the design of active fall protection systems such as travel restraint and fall arrest as defined in ANSI/ASSE Z359.0.
In this standard, measurement values are followed by an equivalent in parentheses, but only the first value specified is considered a requirement. Equivalent values in parentheses are not considered a requirement, as these values may be approximate.
Unless otherwise stated, the values specified in this standard are expressed as nominal values. Values not specified as maximum or minimum, except for temperature limits, are subject to a tolerance of plus/minus 5 percent. Unless otherwise stated, systems are designed for service within an ambient temperature range of 2 degrees to 38 degrees, and temperature limits are accurate to plus/minus 1 degree.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.7 Qualification and Validation Testing of Fall Protection Products
This standard describes the equipment, facilities, samples to be taken, and documentation requirements when testing ANSI/ASSP Z359 Fall protection code products. This standard provides a general overview of the qualification and verification testing requirements for all of these standards as required by the ANSI/ASSP Z359.1 standard.
The purpose of this standard is to provide a process for qualifying, verifying, and documenting fall protection products in accordance with the test requirements of the ANSI/ASSP Z359 product standards.
This standard includes specific provisions for:
Before any product can carry the ANSI/ASSP Z359 label or be represented in any way as complying with any ANSI/ASSP Z359 standard, the requirements of this standard and the applicable product standard must be met.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.9 Personal Fall Protection Equipment - Landing Controllers
This standard describes the requirements for the design, performance, testing, test methods, marking, instruction, maintenance and decommissioning of descent controllers for users in the 59 kg to 140 kg capacity range.
This standard focuses on descent controllers used for fall protection. The standard specifies minimum requirements for both automatic and manual descent controllers designed for use in a variety of workplace scenarios, including rope access, rope descent and evacuation. Descent controllers play an important role in safely descent workers in emergencies or during routine maintenance tasks at height. By ensuring they meet stringent safety criteria, including requirements for design, performance, testing, marking, use and maintenance and dismantling, they give workers and safety professionals confidence that these devices are reliable during critical moments when working at height.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.11 Safety Requirements for Full Body Safety Belts
This standard specifies requirements for the performance, design, marking, qualification, instruction, training, test methods, inspection, use, maintenance and removal from service of full body safety belts. Full body safety belts are used for fall arrest, positioning, restraint, suspension or rescue applications for users with a capacity range of 59 kg to 140 kg.
All new pieces of equipment released into the market must undergo qualification testing, which requires each test to be performed three times. After approval, verification testing is required every 2-5 years according to the manufacturer's quality system and involves performing a full set of tests.
Load-carrying belts must have a minimum breaking strength of 22,2 kN when new and 16,0 kN after abrasion conditioning. Belts in contact with metal components must be protected from abrasion. All connecting components, including D-rings, buckles, and connectors, must meet the requirements of ANSI Z359.12.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.12 Attachment Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems
This standard describes the requirements for components used in personal fall arrest systems, including connectors, energy absorbers, and deceleration devices. This standard specifies performance, design, marking, qualification, test methods, and decommissioning requirements to ensure the compatibility, strength, and reliability of these critical components during fall events.
Metallic components used in fall protection equipment are subjected to neutral salt spray testing to demonstrate minimum resistance to environmental corrosion (especially rust). Products are kept in a sealed chamber filled with salt water mist, which can cause corrosion in unprotected metals. Products are exposed for 48 hours and then inspected for corrosion and function.
All hooks and carabiners must be able to withstand a load of 1 kN along the major axis for at least 22,2 minute without failure or the gate opening more than 3,1 mm. They must also be able to hold a load of 1 kN along the minor axis for 16 minute without failure.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.13 Personal Energy Absorbers and Energy Absorbing Straps
This standard focuses on performance and design criteria for personal energy absorbers and energy absorbing slings used in fall arrest systems for users in the 59-140 kg capacity range. It addresses factors such as energy absorption capacity, dissipation characteristics, test procedures, inspection requirements, maintenance and decommissioning. All personal energy absorbers and energy absorbing slings must reduce forces on users to less than 10 times the normal gravitational force of the earth.
In short, energy absorbers and energy absorbing lanyards must be subjected to a dynamic test by dropping a 128 kg test mass from a free fall height according to the applicable classification. This test is carried out after ambient, wet, cold and hot conditioning and requires that the test mass be retained and also meet the appropriate requirements for peak retaining force, average retaining force and retention distance.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.14 Safety Requirements for Self-Retracting Devices for Personal Fall Arrest and Rescue Systems
This standard describes the safety requirements for self-retracting devices used in personal fall arrest and rescue systems, including self-retracting lanyards, self-retracting lanyards with integrated rescue capability, and self-retracting lanyards with leading edge capability. This standard covers aspects such as design, performance testing, inspection procedures, instructions for use, and more to provide effective fall protection.
Single anchor lifelines and fall arresters play a critical role in personal fall arrest systems. This standard sets out specific safety requirements for these components, including design criteria, materials used, strength testing, installation instructions, inspection procedures and usage limitations. Compliance with this standard helps ensure the reliability and effectiveness of these vital safety devices.
ANSI/ASSP Z359.15 Safety Requirements for Single-Anchor Lifelines and Fall Arresters for Personal Fall Arrest Systems
This standard describes the requirements for the design, performance, qualification testing, test methods, marking, instruction, training, maintenance and decommissioning of single anchor lifelines and fall arresters for users in the 50 kg to 140 kg capacity range.
There are some important exceptions to this standard. The requirements of this standard do not address window cleaning and sports-related activities, horizontal lifelines, fall arresters used on horizontal lifelines, or rope adjusters used in positioning or travel restraint systems. Requirements for rope adjusters are included in ANSI/ASSE Z359.3.
ANSI/ASSE Z359.16-2016 Safety Requirements for Climbing Ladder Fall Arrest Systems
Climbing ladder fall arrest systems are widely used in a variety of industries, particularly for tasks involving vertical ascent and descent. This standard specifies safety requirements tailored to these systems, covering aspects such as ladder design compatibility, attachment points, clearance requirements, load capacity, energy absorption capabilities and user training guidelines. Compliance with this standard is essential for safe ladder climbing practices.
ANSI/ASSE Z359.18 Safety Requirements for Anchor Connectors for Active Fall Protection Systems
This standard specifies requirements for the performance, design, testing, marking and instructions for use of anchor connectors in travel restraint, fall arrest, rescue, work position, rope access and suspended component/tether line systems only.
Anchor connectors are essential components of active fall protection systems such as horizontal lifelines, and their safety is critical to overall system effectiveness. This standard focuses specifically on safety requirements for anchor connectors, including design features, materials used, durability testing, compatibility with anchor points, installation instructions, inspection procedures, and usage limitations. Compliance with this standard ensures reliable and safe anchoring for fall protection systems.
Among the numerous tests, measurements, analyses and evaluation studies that our organization has carried out for businesses in various sectors, it also provides testing services defined in the “ANSI/ASSP Z359 Fall Protection and Arrest Standards Package” standard with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment.
To get an appointment, to get more detailed information or to request an evaluation, you can ask us to fill in our form and reach you.
