Climbing equipment imported or manufactured in the United States is subject to requirements such as fall protection, mechanical performance, and static loading testing. This is important because, if the climbing equipment is defective or does not comply with the relevant requirements, workers and consumers can suffer serious injuries or even deaths due to falling from heights or other risks.
In this guide, we explain how regulations such as 29 CFR Part 1910 and standards such as ANSI Z89.1 and ASTM F887 are relevant to climbing equipment.
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29 CFR Part 1910 Subpart I – Personal Protective Equipment
29 CFR Part 1910 sets Occupational Safety and Health Standards. In particular, Subpart I covers personal protective equipment that is intended to be used in work environments. Here are several general requirements for personal protective equipment as specified in 29 CFR Part 1910.132:
a. Personal protective equipment should be designed and manufactured to be safe for its intended performance. If the equipment is damaged or defective, it should not be used.
b. Personal protective equipment should be used and remain in a reliable condition to protect the wearer from hazards.
c. Personal protective equipment should be suitable to use, adequate, properly maintained, and sanitized.
In the following parts of this section, we only focus on climbing equipment and related components, such as carabiners and body harnesses.
Personal fall protection systems
29 CFR Part 1910.140 applies to personal fall protection systems, which cover components such as body harnesses and carabiners that workers can use to protect themselves from falling. Here are some examples of requirements for personal fall protection systems:
a. Anchorages for attaching to personal fall protection systems should be separate from any anchorage used to suspend employees or work platforms.
b. Lineman’s body belt and pole strap systems should undergo flammability testing in accordance to the test method outlined in this part.
c. Belts, lanyards, harnesses, and ropes used for personal fall protection should be compatible with all connectors, and protected from damage.
d. Personal fall protection systems should have an attachment point that is near the shoulder level of the wearer’s back. The attachment point can be located at a pre-sternal position if the free fall distance is 2 feet or less.
Head protection
29 CFR Part 1910.135 covers head protection equipment for employees, such as helmets. It is relevant to climbing equipment because helmets can protect workers who fall while climbing a scaffold, for example.
Specifically, helmets should comply with the standard ANSI Z89.1 – American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection, which sets testing, performance, and safety requirements for protective helmets.
ASTM Standards
We found several examples of ASTM standards relevant to climbing equipment on the ASTM website. We briefly explain what each standard does and what they cover. Note that other standards may exist.
| Standard | Description |
| ASTM F887 – Standard Specifications for Personal Climbing Equipment | This standard sets requirements and qualification testing for climbing equipment used by arborists, and pole and tree climbers. Here are examples of covered equipment:
|
| ASTM F1772 – Standard Specification for Harnesses for Rescue and Sport Activities | This standard sets testing, performance, design, marking, and instruction requirements for harnesses used in rescue and sport activities, such as rope rescue and climbing.
It covers the following three types of harnesses:
|
| ASTM F1774 – Standard Specification for Climbing and Mountaineering Carabiners | This standard specification sets mechanical tests and minimum performance requirements for carabiners intended solely for climbing and mountaineering.
It covers non-locking and locking carabiners that are made of steel or aluminum alloy. |
| ASTM F2123 – Standard Practice for Treestand Instructions | This standard covers safety and quality assurance guidance regarding user instructions for:
|
| ASTM F2128 – Standard Test Method for Treestand Repetitive Loading Capability | This standard covers procedures for determining the repetitive loading capability of:
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| ASTM F3249 – Standard Specification for Treestands, Climbing Sticks, and Tripod or Tower Stands | This standard sets requirements for the following climbing equipment:
For example, it sets requirements regarding:
|
| ASTM F3412 – Standard Terminology Relating to Treestands | This standard covers terms that are relevant to treestand test methods, practices, and specifications, and is related to treestands, climbing sticks, tripods, or tower stands.
The terminology can be used by:
|
| ASTM F3545 – Standard Test Method for Static Loading of Treestands, Climbing Sticks, and Tripod or Tower Stands | This standard covers procedures for the static loading of:
|
CPSC Recalls
We were unable to find any CPSC standards or regulations that are specific for climbing equipment. However, you should still ensure that your products are safe to use and can protect users from risks such as falling. If your products are deemed unsafe and therefore unfit for sale and use, you can face fines, product recalls, and other costly issues.
Here, we list examples of climbing equipment that the CPSC has ordered recalls on, and their reasons for said recall. We found these examples on www.cpsc.gov/Recalls .
| Product type | Date of recall | Reason for recall |
| Crampon | June 2024 | Connecting screws can loosen and cause the detachment of the heel cup from the crampon, potentially resulting in a fall risk. |
| Auto belay device | August 2024 | Device’s backup brake may fail to activate, causing a fall hazard and risk of serious injury or death. |
| Climbing harnesses | September 2024 | The harness and potential incorrect attachment of the carabiner could cause the wearer to fall from a height and sustain life-threatening injuries. |
| Ascender | June 2024 | Ascender’s teeth may not engage, causing the user to not ascend as intended. |
Lab Testing
You should get your climbing products tested to ensure they function as intended, are safe to use, and do not result in the user or wearer sustaining injury. While some regulations mandate product testing, for others, testing is still a practical necessity to ensure product safety.
When your product passes testing, you receive a test report proving that your product complies with relevant regulations, standards, and requirements.
| Regulation | Description |
| 29 CFR Part 1910 – Occupational Safety and Health Standards | Personal protective equipment covered by 29 CFR Part 1910 should undergo testing to ensure product and user safety. For example, 29 CFR Part 1910.135 requires helmets to comply with ANSI Z89.1, in order to prove that wearers are protected from falling objects. |
| ASTM Standards | ASTM standards set different types of tests, according to the product.
Here are several examples of climbing equipment and the tests they should undergo:
|
Climbing equipment testing companies
Here we list some testing companies that claim to be able to test climbing equipment against ASTM standards that cover climbing equipment:
- Intertek
- SGS
- Kinectrics
Additional Requirements
Climbing equipment may be subject to additional requirements such as the regulations listed below. The equipment, for instance, may contain restricted or banned substances.
| Regulation | Description |
| California Proposition 65 | California Proposition 65 restricts substances that may be present in climbing equipment. We list some examples below:
a. Acrylamide – used in plastic formation; may be present in helmets b. Formaldehyde – used in textile treatment and plastics, may be present in harnesses or helmets |
| Country of Origin | Climbing equipment, like most products, is subject to the Country of Origin marking requirement.
For instance, if a climbing harness is manufactured in China, it should bear the words “Made in China”. |
| CPSIA | Climbing equipment designed and intended for children aged 12 and below, would be subject to CPSIA requirements, such as:
|
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