Fall Protection Manufacturer Product Life Standards & Regulations
 Guardian Fall Protection
2/3/2016 - Current
There is no maximum product lifetime for Guardian Fall Protection products, provided the products always pass
all pre-use and Competent Person inspection requirements as detailed in the product instruction manual.
Guardian requires all products to be inspected prior to each use by the end user, and at least every six months
by a Competent Person other than the end user.
Previously, Guardian soft good products (those made from webbing, rope, or other synthetic fiber materials)
had a product lifetime of five years from the date of first use, however this policy is no longer in place.
All fall protection equipment must always be used by trained personnel in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions provided with the equipment, with the exception of the stipulation stated above.
Please contact Guardian Fall Protection with any questions regarding proper installation or use.
Thank you,
Stuart Moore
Technical Marketing Manager
800-466-6385 ext. 126
 3M - DBI SALA & Protecta Fall Protection Subject: Product Life
Date: February 1998 - Current
The current DBI/SALA policy on the life of products is totally dependent on the condition of the item and not the age. A
DBI/SALA product can be used as long as the inspection performed does not reveal any damage, wear, or other
characteristics that will effect the product's performance.
The inspection of the product shall be performed according to details outlined in the user instruction manual on the
specific product as well as other applicable information provided by DBI/SALA. The frequency of inspections to determine
the usability of the product shall be as follows:
1. Inspect before each use (by user).
2. Monthly (by competent person other than user) (for winches, RPD s, Rescumatics, tripods, davit arms) (recorded).
3. Annually (by competent person other than the user) (recorded).
After a fall, the product shall be removed from service and destroyed (or used for educational purposes). After a fall, Self-
Retracting Lifelines (SRL s) shall be inspected and serviced (if required, see user instructions) by factory authorized
service center.
Inspection and servicing frequency may need to be modified based on the amount of use and the conditions within the
environment the product is used in.
Current OSHA and ANSI regulations indicate the following regarding inspection of equipment:
OSHA 1910.66 *Remove impacted systems and components.
*Inspect systems prior to use.
OSHA 1926.502 *Remove impacted systems and components.
*Inspect systems prior to use.
ANSI Z359.1-1992 *Comply with manufacturer's instructions.
*Inspection by user prior to use.
*Inspect at least annually by competent person.
All equipment found to be unusable shall be tagged as rejected and pulled out of service. Copies of user instructions and
other available inspection information can be obtained from DBI/SALA.
Activation Date
Typically the date of manufacture on a product or the date of purchase is used to help determine when a product is due
for inspection. The date of the products first use can also be used as an activation date.
The activation date is defined as the time when a product is first put into actual service (initially or after service/repair).
If inspection timing is based on the activation date instead of the manufacture date, service date or purchase date, the
activation date should be recorded in the user instruction manual in the inspection and maintenance log under the
inspection date column (or record/document in some manner). Indicate that the entry is date of first use (or activation
date).
If the activation date is unknown, the product purchase date, service date, or manufacture date should be used to
determine when product is due for inspection.
Prior to placing a product into service that product shall be properly stored according to the user instruction manual.
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