ISO 10333-6:2004

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 10333-6
First edition
2004-01-15
Personal fall-arrest systems —
Part 6:
System performance tests
Systèmes individuels d'arrêt de chute —
Partie 6: Essais de performance

Reference number
©
ISO 2004
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ii © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope. 1
2 Normative references. 1
3 Terms and definitions. 2
4 Designation. 3
5 Requirements. 7
5.1 Components and subsystems. 7
5.2 System performance. 7
6 Test methods. 8
6.1 Apparatus. 8
6.2 Performance test for A + EAL + FBH type PFAS . 11
6.3 Performance test for A + SRL + FBH type PFAS . 14
6.4 Performance test for A + TVLL + FBH type PFAS . 17
6.5 Performance test for A + PVLL + FBH type PFAS . 19
6.6 Performance test for A + VR + FBH type PFAS. 23
7 Supplied information. 27
Annex A (informative) Design, ergonomics and free space. 28
Bibliography . 30

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 10333-6 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 94, Personal safety — Protective clothing and
equipment, Subcommittee SC 4, Personal equipment for protection against falls.
ISO 10333 consists of the following parts, under the general title Personal fall-arrest systems:
 Part 1: Full-body harnesses
 Part 2: Lanyards and energy absorbers
 Part 3: Self-retracting lifelines
 Part 4: Vertical rails and vertical lifelines incorporating a sliding-type fall arrester
 Part 5: Connectors with self-closing and self-locking gates
 Part 6: System performance tests
iv © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

Introduction
Fall arrest equipment has been traditionally manufactured and tested as discrete components, which are then
linked together in series to form a personal fall arrest system (PFAS) by the user, before commencing work.
This requires personnel in the supply and use chain who are capable of deciding which combinations of
components can be linked together and which of those cannot.
Over the years, a continuous process of fall simulation and strength testing has revealed the dangers of
linking incompatible components together, as a result of test failures, near misses and accidents. Examples
have included: inadvertent release of connections, localized overloading or overstressing of components, and
unexpected decrease in performance levels. These incidents occurred because insufficient analysis and
attention had been paid to the particular combination of components in question, and because the interaction
between the components in a fall was unknown.
Further investigation showed that the behaviour of a complete system under test could reveal shortcomings
which could not be detected when the individual components of the same system were tested separately.
Consequently, in 1979 and 1985, other fall arrest standards with a lineage back to 1947 were revised to
ensure that performance tests were conducted on complete systems. This allowed the complete PFAS to be
tested in the actual mode of use, and an arrested fall to be simulated as closely as possible under test
conditions.
This part of ISO 10333 fully supports the essential requirements of the range of current International
Standards written to specify the components that are used to form personal fall arrest systems, i.e. the other
parts of ISO 10333, and ISO 14567.
However, in recognizing the importance of complete personal fall arrest system performance tests, this part of
ISO 10333 provides test methods for situations where it is both important and desirable to ascertain
satisfactory system performance and interactive component compatibility. It goes beyond that required in the
above component standards by specifying system performance testing applicable to complete personal fall
arrest systems, as opposed to component testing, which only requires tests on individual components.
In cases where the hazard of falling from a height exists and where, for technical reasons or for work of very
short duration, safe access cannot be otherwise provided, it is necessary to consider the use of PFAS. Such
use should never be improvised and its adoption should be specifically provided for in the appropriate formal
provisions for safety in the work place.
PFAS complying with this part of ISO 10333 ought also to satisfy ergonomic requirements and only be used if
the work allows means of connection to a suitable anchor device of demonstrated strength and if it can be
implemented without compromising the safety of the user. Personnel need to be trained and instructed in the
safe use of the equipment and be observant of such training and instruction.
This part of ISO 10333 is based on current knowledge and practice concerning the use of PFAS that
incorporate a full-body harness as specified in ISO 10333-1.
This part of ISO 10333 presumes that the manufacturer of the PFAS, subsystems or components will, for the
sake of consistency and traceability, operate a quality management system which will comply with national
and regional regulations in force at the time. Guidance on the form this quality management system may take
can be found in ISO 9000.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 10333-6:2004(E)

Personal fall-arrest systems —
Part 6:
System performance tests
1 Scope
This part of ISO 10333 specifies tests and requirements for complete personal fall arrest systems (PFAS)
made up from specific combinations of components and subsystems selected from those conforming to the
other parts of ISO 10333 and to ISO 14567, where it is both important and desirable to ascertain satisfactory
system performance and interactive component compatibility. It includes PFAS performance tests using a rigid
torso test mass as a surrogate for the faller. Examples of personal fall arrest systems, as well as descriptions
of how components or subsystems may be connected together to constitute a system, are also given.
This part of ISO 10333 is applicable to PFAS limited to single-person use of a total mass not exceeding
100 kg and, when activated, will arrest the person and limit the arresting force to a maximum of 6 kN.
It is not applicable to
a) PFAS which use waist belts or chest harnesses as the sole body holding component,
b) PFAS incorporating lanyards without energy absorbers or without a means of energy dissipation,
c) subsystems and components outside the PFAS scopes of the other parts of ISO 10333 and ISO 14567,
or
d) equipment used for material lifting purposes.
Where other features are integral with components and subsystems which allow them to be assembled into
other types of safety system associated with personal fall arrest systems — for example, work positioning
systems (WPS), fall restraint systems (FRS), controlled descent systems (CDS), confined space access
systems (CSAS) or rescue systems (RS) — this part of ISO 10333 relates only to the fall arrest function of
such components and subsystems.
This part of ISO 10333 does not specify those additional requirements that would apply when personal fall
arrest systems are subjected to special conditions of use (where, for example, there exist unusual limitations
concerning access to the place of work and/or particular environmental factors).
NOTE Personal fall arrest systems outside the scope of this part of ISO 10333 need to be performance tested in the
manner in which they are intended to be used, taking into account the workplace geometry. Advice will need to be sought
from the equipment manufacturer accordingly.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 10333-1:2000, Personal fall-arrest systems — Part 1: Full-body harnesses
ISO 10333-2: 2000, Personal fall arrest systems — Part 2: Lanyards and energy absorbers
ISO 10333-3: 2000, Personal fall arrest systems — Part 3: Self-retracting lifelines
ISO 10333-4: 2002, Personal fall arrest systems — Part 4: Vertical rails and vertical lifelines incorporating a
sliding-type fall arrester
ISO 10333-5:2001, Personal fall-arrest systems — Part 5: Connectors with self-closing and self-locking gates
ISO 14567:1999, Personal protective equipment for protection against falls from a height — Single-point
anchor devices
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 10333-1 to ISO 10333-5, ISO 14567
and the following apply.
3.1
personal fall arrest system
PFAS
assembly of interconnected components and subsystems, including a full-body harness worn by the user, that
when connected to a suitable anchor device will arrest a fall from a height
NOTE A personal fall arrest system minimizes the fall arrest forces, controls the total fall distance to prevent collision with
the ground or other relevant obstruction, and maintains the user in a suitable post-fall arrest attitude for rescue purposes. For
examples, see Figure 1.
3.2
subsystem
constituent part of a personal fall arrest system which may consist of one or more components and which is used
to connect the user from the fall arrest attachment element of the full-body harness to the anchor device
NOTE A subsystem performs the two essential functions of (a) connecting, and (b) arresting and energy-absorbing.
3.3
component
constituent part of a personal fall arrest system or subsystem that has completed the manufacturer’s production
cycle and is available for purchase
3.4
manufacturer
business concern that manufactures components or subsystems or both for use in personal fall arrest systems
3.5
assembler
business concern or person who assembles components or subsystems into systems ready for use
NOTE An assembler could be the manufacturer, a manufacturer’s agent or distributor, supplier, the purchasing
company intending to use the components or subsystems, a purchaser, safety officer, supervisor, or the user.
3.6
total mass
sum of the user’s mass and all attached clothing and equipment
3.7
required free space
space required beneath a user to avoid collision with the ground or a structure
2 © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

4 Designation
Designation shall be by means of a code that uses abbreviations and symbols to represent the assembled
order of components and subsystems in the configuration of a personal fall arrest system, in accordance with
Tables 1 and 2.
Table 1 — Abbreviations and symbols
Abbreviation/symbol Component/subsystem Applicable International Standard
FBH Full-body harness ISO 10333-1
EAL Energy-absorbing lanyard ISO 10333-2
SRL Self-retracting lifeline ISO 10333-3
TVLL Temporary vertical lifeline ISO 10333-4
PVLL Permanent vertical lifeline ISO 10333-4
VR Vertical rail ISO 10333-4
+ Connector ISO 10333-5
A Anchor device ISO 14567
Table 2 — Codes
Code PFAS type Figure
A + EAL + FBH PFAS based on an energy-absorbing lanyard. 1 a)
A + SRL + FBH PFAS based on a self-retracting lifeline. 1 b)
A + TVLL + FBH PFAS based on a temporary vertical lifeline. 1 c)
A + PVLL + FBH PFAS based on a permanent vertical lifeline. 1 d)
A + VR + FBH PFAS based on a vertical rail. 1 e)

a) PFAS based on energy-absorbing lanyard b) PFAS based on self-retracting lifeline
Figure 1 — Examples of fall arrest systems (PFAS) (continued)
4 © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

c) PFAS based on temporary vertical lifeline d) PFAS based on permanent vertical lifeline
Figure 1 — Examples of fall arrest systems (PFAS) (continued)
e) PFAS based on vertical rail
Key
1 structure
2 anchor device
3 connector
4 energy-absorbing lanyard
5 fall arrest attachment on full-body harness
6 full-body harness worn by user
7 self-retracting lifeline
8 lifeline
9 connecting line
10 sliding-type fall arrester
11 tensioned lifeline
12 permanently installed ladder
13 vertical rail
Figure 1 — Examples of fall arrest systems (PFAS)
6 © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

5 Requirements
NOTE Guidance on design, ergonomics and the issue of free space is given in Annex A.
5.1 Components and subsystems
5.1.1 It is recognized that user organizations have to acquire components and subsystems from the same
or different manufacturers for the purposes of assembly into a personal fall arrest system. It can be difficult to
determine whether or not the intended combination will produce a satisfactory performance and whether or
not the specific components or subsystems are compatible with one another. If the assembler is not confident
about the performance of the complete personal fall arrest system, or the compatibility of components or
subsystems, especially in cases where there is insufficient information available, the system should be tested
in accordance with this part of ISO 10333, the purpose being to indicate obvious design defects associated
with dynamic performance.
5.1.2 A full-body harness and lanyard without an energy absorber or a means of energy dissipation shall
not be used as a PFAS.
5.1.3 The assembler shall ensure that the specific combination of components and subsystems intended for
assembly into a PFAS has been proved capable of meeting the individual requirements of ISO 10333-1 to
ISO 10333-5, and ISO 14567, according to type.
5.1.4 The manufacturer shall give sufficient information on the compatibility of specific components and
subsystems to the purchaser.
5.1.4 The assembler shall ensure that specific components or subsystems are compatible with any other
component or subsystem intended to be assembled into a PFAS.
5.2 System performance
5.2.1 PFAS shall be tested in accordance with Table 3 as appropriate to type. It is a basic requirement of a
PFAS that when the specific combination of components/subsystems is assembled together in the manner
intended, the operation of the total system be designed to arrest the fall of the person using the PFAS in a
manner which is as safe as is reasonably practicable.
Table 3 — Testing of PFAS
PFAS type See
A + EAL + FBH 6.2
A + SRL + FBH 6.3
A + TVLL + FBH 6.4
A + PVLL + FBH 6.5
A + VR + FBH 6.6
5.2.2 When systems are performance-tested in accordance with the appropriate subclause,
a) the arrest force shall not exceed 6 kN,
b) the angle formed between the back of the torso tests mass and the vertical plane shall not exceed 45º,
c) for A + TVLL + FBH-configured PFAS, the fall distance, H , shall not exceed 2,0 m, and shall be recorded
D
in accordance with 6.2 for required free space calculation purposes,
d) for A + PVLL + FBH- and A + VR + FBH-configured PFAS, the fall distance, H , shall not exceed 1,5 m,
D
and shall be recorded in accordance with 6.2 for required free space calculation purposes, and
e) for A + EAL + FBH- and A + SRL + FBH-configured PFAS, the fall distance, H , shall be recorded in
D
accordance with 6.2 for required free space calculation purposes.
5.2.3 With the torso test mass remaining in post-drop suspension, there shall be none of the following
results on a full-body harness:
a) tearing of webbing material;
b) tearing of any primary strap sewn joint;
c) partial or complete fracture of any fastening or adjusting buckle;
d) inadvertent opening of any fastening buckle;
e) straps applying pressure to the neck of the torso test mass.
5.2.4 With the torso test mass remaining in post-drop suspension, there shall be neither of the following
results on other parts of the PFAS:
a) tearing or rupture of any component (except where such tearing was deliberately designed to contribute to
energy dissipation);
b) partial fractures or inadvertent opening of connector gates.
6 Test methods
6.1 Apparatus
6.1.1 Torso test mass for dynamic test
The torso test mass for the dynamic performance test shall be in accordance with Figure 2. The suspension
eyebolts shall have an inside diameter of (40 ± 1) mm and a maximum cross-section diameter of (16 ± 1) mm.
The surface shall be smooth and, if of timber construction, shall be shellacked or varnished.
8 © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

Dimensions in millimetres
Minimum radius of curvature = R50.
The mass shall be 100 kg.
Material shall be hardwood or plastic (Shore hardness > 90).
a
Centre of gravity.
Figure 2 — Torso test mass for dynamic testing
6.1.2 Test structure
6.1.2.1 The test structure shall be of rigid construction, with a natural frequency of vibration in the vertical
axis where the anchor device is to be fixed of not less than 200 Hz, and such that the application of a force of
20 kN on that point does not cause a deflection greater than 1 mm.
6.1.2.2 The test structure shall provide a rigid anchor point consisting of a ring of (20 ± 1) mm bore and
(15 ± 1) mm diameter cross-section, or a rod of the same diameter cross-section. As necessary, to
accommodate specific anchor devices and subsystems, alternative methods of fixing to the test structure are
acceptable.
6.1.2.3 The test structure shall be at such a height as to prevent the torso test mass from striking the floor
during dynamic testing. There should be sufficient space underneath the pre-release position of the torso test
mass to allow for factors such as free fall, PFAS length and extension, full-body harness stretch and the
height of the torso test mass.
6.1.3 Quick release device
A device shall be provided which is compatible with the rigid torso test mass or connectors and which ensures
the release of the torso test mass without initial velocity.
6.1.4 Force measuring instrumentation
6.1.4.1 The instrumentation shall be capable of measuring forces from 1,2 kN to 20 kN with an accuracy
of ± 2 % and of withstanding a force of 50 kN without damage. It shall be arranged so that measurements are
carried out with a continuously active band up to 100 Hz but with a minimum sampling rate of 1 000 Hz.
6.1.4.2 The arrest force measurement system shall have a corner frequency of 100 Hz with frequency
response characteristics which fall within the shaded area illustrated in Figure 3.
6.1.4.3 A recorder shall be used to obtain the time trace of the force, either at the actual time (when
recording with the auxiliary measuring device) or at a later time, after storage of the information.
10 © ISO 2004 – All rights reserved

Frequency response values:
a = ± 1/4 dB f = 0,1 Hz
L
b = + 1/2 dB, − 1 dB f = 60 Hz
H
c = + 1/2 dB, − 3 dB f = 100 Hz
N
d = − 30 dB
Key
1 slope = − 9 dB per octave
2 slope = − 24 dB per octave
Figure 3 — Frequency response characteristics of the force-measuring instrumentation
6.2 Performance test for A + EAL + FBH type PFAS
6.2.1 Preparation
6.2.1.1 The components/subsystems submitted for testing shall include the specific type of
a) anchor device (A),
b) energy-absorbing lanyard or other lanyard-energy absorber combination (EAL),
c) full-body harness (FBH), and
d) connector (+), and quantity of connectors as necessary.
6.2.1.2 Secure the anchor device to the test structure, and assemble the components/subsystems into
the intended PFAS, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
6.2.2 Testing
6.2.2.1 Fit the supplied full-body harness onto the torso test mass as it would be worn by a human wearer,
in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Adjust the full-body harness to ensure a snug fit to the
torso test mass.
6.2.2.2 Raise the torso test mass in an upright posture. Attach one end of the energy-absorbing lanyard to
one of the full-body harness fall arrest attachment points using one of the supplied connectors and, similarly,
the other end to the load cell, which shall be attached to the anchor device installed on the test structure.
6.2.2.3 Lower the torso test mass until the test assembly fully supports it in suspension. Measure and
record the height H (the distance from the underside of the torso test mass to the floor). See Figure 4 a).
Q
6.2.2.4 Raise the torso test mass to H + 1,8 m and secure to the quick release device [Figure 4 b)].
Q
Ensure that the lifting eyebolt on the torso test mass is at a maximum horizontal distance of 300 mm from the
vertical axis of the anchor device attachment point before release.
6.2.2.5 Release the torso test mass. Measure and record the force with respect to time. With the torso
...