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IRATA's code of practice gives three figures for rope access anchors: a static strength of at least 15 kN; a series of three 15 kN trial tests, each held for 3 minutes, where the base material wasn't in the maker's type tests or its strength is unknown; and a recommended load of 6 kN where a proof load test is done at a detailed inspection. Detailed inspections are at least every six months. A Staht t25 reaches 25 kN, so it covers both test loads in tension.
This page explains how anchors, eyebolts and anchor points are commonly tested, inspected and recorded. It does not replace the law, the standards it names, the manufacturer's instructions, or the decisions of the person responsible for the job or the system, who sets the tests, the loads and the inspection regime. A test records what happened on the day; it does not approve an anchor for use.
Key figures
| Static strength | At least 15 kN as a general rule; the anchor "may yield but should not fail at this load" (ICOP 2.11.2.6) |
|---|---|
| Trial static tests | Three, at 15 kN (+1/0) for 3 minutes (+0.25/0), in the direction of use, where the base material wasn't in the maker's type tests or its strength is unknown |
| Proof load test at detailed inspection | 6 kN recommended, where one is done |
| Detailed inspection | At least every six months |
| Paired anchors left in place | A complete inspection at least every ten years, on a sample |
Which test, when?
| Test | When | Load | IRATA ICOP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trial static strength tests | Where the base material wasn't covered by the maker's type tests, or its strength is unknown (old brickwork, for example): three tests on anchor devices installed in representative base material, well away from the work area, before installing for the work in hand | 15 kN for 3 minutes, in the direction the anchor will be loaded | Annex F, F.2.1.7 |
| Proof load test | During a detailed inspection, where one is done | 6 kN recommended, by a different method from the trial test | Annex F, F.2.1.7, note 1 |
| Detailed inspection | At least every six months, arranged by the installer or the person who placed the anchor | As the inspection requires | Annex F, F.1.8 |
| Pre-use check | Before each use, by the user | None: visual, tactile and, where appropriate, function checks | Annex F, F.1.8 |
Tension or shear?
The trial test is applied in the direction the anchor will be loaded in use, which may be shear. A pull tester like the t25 applies tension along the anchor's axis. For a test in shear on an anchor from M6 to M20, the Staht shear test rig loads it sideways through a sliding head, with a t25 load cell to 25 kN or a t60 to 60 kN. Ask us whether it suits your anchor device.
Who is responsible for inspection?
IRATA's code puts it on the installer, for anchor devices that were installed, or on the person who placed the anchor, for placed devices that aren't temporary. They carry out detailed inspections, or have a competent person do them, at least every six months. The code also says a rope access qualification alone doesn't make someone competent to install or test anchor devices or carry out a detailed inspection.
What about paired anchors left in place for years?
Where paired anchor devices aren't taken out at detailed inspection, IRATA's code asks for a complete inspection at intervals of no more than ten years, exposing a random sample of 5% per discrete site, and at least two whole pairs.
Testing on an awkward face
Rope access anchors are often on parapets, ledges and uneven stone. Staht makes three-leg t25 kits, and the 3 leg adaptor turns a four-leg t25 or t60 into a three-leg tester. The clevis takes an eye; the jaw and a threaded washer take a stud. Keep the tester on its tool lanyard (up to 8 kg) and the spanner on the wrist lanyard.
Worked example: a trial test on a t25
A team plans to install anchor devices in an old stone parapet whose strength is unknown. Before installing them, three trial tests are done on anchor devices installed in the same stone, well away from the work area.
- Load: 15 kN, with a tolerance of +1/0 kN, so between 15 and 16 kN.
- Hold: 3 minutes, with a tolerance of +0.25/0 minutes, so between 3 minutes and 3 minutes 15 seconds.
- Tester: 15 kN is within the t25's 25 kN, in tension. If the anchors will be loaded in shear, ask us whether the shear rig suits the anchor device.
- Record: each test's load reached, time held and what was seen, for the job pack.
Where a proof load test is done at a later detailed inspection, IRATA's recommended load is 6 kN.
What goes in the job pack?
For each anchor: its reference and position, the base material, the test (trial or proof), the load and time held, what was seen and the result. For the visit: the date, who tested, and the tester's make, serial number and calibration date. IRATA's code asks for inspections and tests to be recorded. Our free proof load test record has these fields.
Related pages
- Rope access: the rules and competence
- Eyebolt and fall arrest anchor testing and concrete and masonry: the kit
- Roof anchors and eyebolts
More questions
IRATA's general rule is a static strength of at least 15 kN, from a 6 kN maximum fall force and a safety factor of 2.5. Some deviation anchors are exceptions.
No. Trial tests (three, at 15 kN for 3 minutes) are done before installation where the base material wasn't in the maker's type tests or its strength is unknown. A proof load test is done during a detailed inspection, with a recommended load of 6 kN.
For installed anchor devices, the installer; for placed devices that aren't temporary, such as a deadweight anchor left on a roof, the person who placed them. Either may have a competent person do it, at least every six months.
In tension, yes: the t25 reaches 25 kN. For a trial test in shear, ask us whether the shear test rig, which takes anchors from M6 to M20, suits your anchor device.
Źródła
- IRATA International code of practice for industrial rope access (ICOP), TC-102ENG, IRATA International
- Technicians FAQs: anchor selection, IRATA International
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005, Schedule 5: Requirements for personal fall protection systems, legislation.gov.uk
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 12: Inspection of work equipment, legislation.gov.uk
- BS 7985:2013 Code of practice for the use of rope access methods for industrial purposes. Recommendations and guidance supplementary to BS ISO 22846, BSI
- Staht 25kN Digital Tensile Tester Kit, c/w Accessories & Heavy-Duty Mini Case, Technical Datasheet No 133, Staht
- Staht 3 leg Adaptor for t25 / t60, Technical Datasheet No 143, Staht
- Staht Shear Test Rig brochure, Staht
Test rope access anchors
Three-leg t25 kits, the 3 leg adaptor and the shear rig.