UNI 11560 standard: important additions towards quality

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On June 23, 2022, the revision of the technical standard UNI 11560:2014 was published by UNI (Ente Nazionale Italiano di Un ificazione). The standard provides criteria for the identification, configuration, installation, use, inspection and maintenance of roof anchorage systems intended for permanent installation. It also provides guidance for their design.

The 2022 revision introduces important innovations, which mainly concern three points:

• the documentation accompanying the anchoring system, starting from the design;
• the figures involved in the installation, inspection and maintenance processes;
• the checks to be carried out during the inspection phase.

Below is a summary of the main innovations introduced:

Design anddocumentation accompanying the anchoring system.

Within Chapter 7 “Design and construction of an anchoring system” the standard 11560: 2022, requires mandatory, among the documentation accompanying the system, the presence of the ETC and the Calculation Report signed by a Qualified Technician. In the previous revision in 2014, such documentation was only suggested.

Figures involved in the installation, inspection and maintenance processes

With the new revision of 2022, three new definitions are introduced relating to the figure of the installer of anchoring systems.

• basic installer: Competent person, able to carry out the assembly, the possible disassembly and the inspection at the assembly of the anchoring system.
• intermediate installer: Competent person, able to carry out assembly, possible disassembly, assembly inspection and periodic inspection of the anchoring system.
• advanced installer: Competent person, able to carry out the assembly, the possible disassembly, the assembly inspection, the periodic inspection and the extraordinary inspection of the anchoring system.

Previously, three figures were identified, each associated with a different activity:

• the installer, i.e. the qualified person, who carries out the assembly and possible dismantling of the anchoring system;
• the inspector, or the qualified technician, who carries out the checks and controls necessary to ascertain that the anchoring system has maintained the initial performance characteristics in scheduled times or following exceptional events;
• the maintainer, i.e. the qualified person who carries out the operations deemed necessary for the anchoring system to maintain the initial performance characteristics over time.

Checks to be carried out during inspection

Within Chapter 9 “Inspection and maintenance of anchoring systems” newcontrols are introduced  (in addition to those already present in the 2014 revision relating to the anchoring system, the support structure and the anchors), to  be carried out in the inspection phases regarding the documentation of the anchoring system referred to in Chapter 7.

The checks on the documentation of the anchoring system introduced in the 2022 revision provide for verification during the phases of assembly inspection, inspection before use, periodic inspection and extraordinary inspection of the presence of:

• Graphic elaboration representative of the system;
• General technical report;
• Structural calculation report;
• Photographic documentation of the system;
• Declaration of correct installation of the system;
• Manuals for installation, use and maintenance of anchors;
• Declaration of conformity/correspondence of anchorages;
• Indication of use of the PPE to be used;
• System maintenance program;
• Register of system inspections/maintenance;
• Registry of access to the system.

Spider Linee Vita ®, a manufacturer of fall arrest systems, present on the market since 2005, with specific certifications (ISO 9001:2015 – ISO 14001:2015 – ISO 45001:2018) offers a series of services that are already in line with all the provisions of the UNI 11560: 2022 standard, thus ensuring high quality services.