Anchor Testing and Installation
Total Group provides anchor point testing and installation for fall protection systems. Our service includes load testing and inspections of existing anchors, along with installation of engineered anchor points for new or upgraded systems. Contact our team to discuss the anchors already on your site, the work they need to support and the requirements for your project.
Testing existing anchors and installing new points
Existing anchors need to be assessed against their intended use and the applicable specifications. Share their location, identification, installation history and previous inspection or test records when available. Report any known fall loading, damage, alteration or change to the supporting structure. These details help define the inspection and testing scope before work is scheduled.
For a new installation or upgrade, identify the areas workers need to reach and the proposed fall protection system. Confirm who will provide the anchor and structural specifications, who will review changes and what acceptance records the site requires. Engineered anchor points need a defined design basis; a successful test alone does not establish that an anchor is suitable for every future task.
Agree on the test method and acceptance criteria before testing. A minimum breaking-strength requirement is not an instruction to apply that force as a field test. The anchor type, manufacturer’s instructions and engineering specifications need to inform the project scope.
Match the anchor to the system
Travel restraint limits a worker’s movement so they cannot reach a fall edge. Fall arrest is intended to stop a fall after it begins. Permanent and temporary anchors can have different requirements, and an anchor suitable for one use should not be assumed suitable for another. Horizontal lifelines also need system-level consideration rather than treating each attachment point as an isolated anchor.
As an Alberta example, OHS Code sections 152 to 153.1 distinguish permanent anchors, temporary travel-restraint anchors, temporary fall-arrest anchors and horizontal lifeline systems. The Code also requires an appropriate anchor connector and separates fall-arrest anchors from anchors supporting or suspending a platform. Requirements elsewhere must be confirmed for the applicable jurisdiction and project.
CSA Z259.15:22, Anchorage connectors, covers connector performance, design, testing and marking within its scope. It expressly excludes methods for verifying actual anchorage strength in the field. A connector product specification and verification of an installed anchor address different questions.
Plan access and rescue readiness
Anchor work needs safe access to the attachment point and, where required, its supporting structure. Identify restricted areas, roof access, nearby operations and work that could affect the installation or testing. Coordinate permits and scheduling with the site contact so other crews understand the work area and any restrictions on anchor use.
Workers who will use the completed system also need a site-specific fall protection plan where required. In Alberta, section 140 requires a plan when a worker may fall three metres or more and is not protected by guardrails. That plan must identify the anchors and system, address clearance where applicable and include rescue procedures for a worker who falls, remains suspended and needs rescue. The employer must make the plan available at the worksite and review it with workers before work with a fall risk begins.
Discuss rescue access, communications and responsibilities alongside the proposed anchor locations. Confirm who coordinates the fall protection plan and rescue arrangements. Anchor installation or testing should not be treated as a substitute for those arrangements. For related service inquiries, visit Total Group’s Rescue services.
Information to send with your inquiry
To help define the work, provide:
- The site location, project contact and planned work dates.
- Anchor locations, photographs and the intended system and number of users.
- Available drawings, manufacturer instructions and engineering specifications.
- Previous inspection or test records and known damage or fall loading.
- Access restrictions, permit requirements and required acceptance records.
Before work begins, agree on anchor identification, the records needed for each point and who authorizes its use. In Alberta, section 152.2 requires a visual inspection before attachment and prohibits use of a damaged anchor until it is repaired, replaced or recertified by the manufacturer or a professional engineer. Keep testing and installation records available for the people managing subsequent use and inspection.
