Design, Certification, and Load Testing of Facade Access Equipment

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains standards (Standards) that define design and usage requirements for elements that support suspended scaffolds (e.g., davits, davit bases, outrigger beams) and fall arrest lanyards (e.g., dedicated roof anchorages) when this equipment is used to access facades and other elevated portions of buildings. Ensuring that applicable requirements are met is the responsibility of what OSHA terms a "qualified person"—typically a professional engineer. However, navigating and applying the OSHA structural provisions can be difficult primarily because relevant requirements are not located in a single document, structural requirements vary for different uses, and structural requirements are not always written in a manner consistent with typical structural engineering practice. It is important for engineers to promote and practice the rational application of sound engineering principles during both the initial design of this equipment and any post-installation load testing that is used to confirm continuing compliance with OSHA Standards. Unfortunately, certain trends and recent developments in the facade access equipment industry have made proper certification more difficult than it needs to be; irrational approaches and conclusions are, at times, actually encouraged by industry groups. In this paper, the authors' experience designing, evaluating, and load testing hundreds of equipment installations will be used to illustrate key principles of properly designed facade access equipment and to convey important considerations for performing post-installation load testing.