ISO 10333-4:2002

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 10333-4
First edition
2002-04-01
Personal fall-arrest systems —
Part 4:
Vertical rails and vertical lifelines
incorporating a sliding-type fall arrester
Systèmes individuels d'arrêt de chute —
Partie 4: Rails et cordes d'assurance verticaux incorporant un dispositif
d'arrêt de type coulissant




Reference number
ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
©
 ISO 2002

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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
Contents Page
Foreword.iv
Introduction.v
1 Scope .1
2 Normative references.2
3 Terms and definitions .2
4 Requirements.7
5 Apparatus and test methods .12
6 Instructions for general use, marking and packaging.16
Annex A (normative) Dynamic performance testing .19

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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
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 3.
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 part of ISO 10333 may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 10333-4 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
Systems performance tests will be the subject of a future part 6 to ISO 10333.
Annex A forms a normative part of this part of ISO 10333.
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
Introduction
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 personal fall-arrest
systems (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 should satisfy ergonomic requirements and should 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 should 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, Quality management systems — Fundamentals and vocabulary.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 10333-4:2002(E)

Personal fall-arrest systems —
Part 4:
Vertical rails and vertical lifelines incorporating a sliding-type fall
arrester
1 Scope
This part of ISO 10333 specifies requirements, test methods, instructions for use and maintenance, marking,
labelling and packaging, as appropriate, for vertical rails and vertical lifelines which incorporate a sliding-type fall
arrester.
When connected to a full-body harness as specified in ISO 10333-1, vertical rails and vertical lifelines which
incorporate a sliding-type fall arrester constitute a personal fall-arrest system (PFAS), which will be specified in a
future International Standard.
Vertical rails and vertical lifelines which incorporate a sliding-type fall arrester in accordance with this part of
ISO 10333 are limited to use by a single person of total mass not exceeding 100 kg.
NOTE 1 Users of PFAS whose total mass (which includes attached tools and equipment) exceeds 100 kg are advised to
seek advice from the equipment manufacturers regarding the suitability of the equipment, which may need additional testing.
NOTE 2 PFAS using vertical rails and permanent vertical lifelines inherently limit the user's horizontal movement, whereas
PFAS using a temporary vertical lifeline permit significant horizontal movement by the user. Special notice should be given to
the requirements which accommodate this difference.
The scope of this part of ISO 10333 does not extend to:
a) inclined rails and lifelines, i.e. those which are installed at an angle between the true vertical and the lifeline or
rail of more than 15° when viewed from the side elevation;
b) the horizontally installed elements of compound rails or lifelines, i.e. those which have both vertically and
horizontally installed elements linked by junctions.
This part of ISO 10333 does not specify those additional requirements that would apply when PFAS 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). Thus treatments to ensure the durability of the materials of
construction (such as heat treatment, anti-corrosion treatment, protection against physical and chemical hazards)
are not specified in this part of ISO 10333, but should comply with appropriate International Standards or, failing
that, with national standards or other specifications dealing with relevant physical characteristics and/or the safety
of users.
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
2 Normative references
The following normative documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of
this part of ISO 10333. For dated references, subsequent amendments to, or revisions of, any of these publications
do not apply. However, parties to agreements based on this part of ISO 10333 are encouraged to investigate the
possibility of applying the most recent editions of the normative documents indicated below. For undated
references, the latest edition of the normative document referred to applies. Members of ISO and IEC maintain
registers of currently valid International Standards.
ISO 1140:1990, Ropes — Polyamide — Specification
ISO 1141:1990, Ropes — Polyester — Specification
ISO 9227:1990, Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres — Salt spray tests
ISO 10333-1:2000, Personal fall-arrest systems — Part 1: Full-body harnesses
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
EN 892:1996, Mountaineering equipment — Dynamic mountaineering ropes — Safety requirements and test
methods
EN 1891:1998, Personal protective equipment for prevention of falls from a height — Low stretch kernmantel ropes
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this part of ISO 10333, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
vertical rail
rigid track which is permanently fastened by a number of brackets at intervals along its length to a fixed ladder or
other structure, and to which a sliding-type fall arrester can be attached
See Figure 1.
NOTE The rail may consist of a number of sections held together by joining plates.
3.2 Vertical lifelines
3.2.1
vertical lifeline
flexible line which is either permanently or temporarily installed
3.2.2
permanent vertical lifeline
tensioned line which is permanently fastened to at least one position at its upper end, to act as a reliable anchor
point
See Figure 2.
NOTE 1 It is permanently fastened to a position at its lower extremity to a fixed ladder or other structure, to which a sliding-
type fall arrester can be attached.
NOTE 2 The permanent vertical lifeline may additionally be attached to the fixed ladder or other structure at a number of
locations at intervals along its length.
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
3.2.3
temporary vertical lifeline
suspended line, which is temporarily fastened at its upper extremity to an overhead anchoring point, to which a
sliding-type fall arrester can be attached
See Figure 3.
NOTE The temporary vertical lifeline may have a small weight fitted to the lower extremity to keep a nominal amount of
tension in the line.

Key
1 Rung 5 Permanently installed ladder
2 Rail 6 Joint between rail sections
3 Intermediate fastening to rung 7 Sliding-type fall arrester
4 Connecting line
Figure 1 — Example of a vertical rail
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)

Key
1 Sliding-type fall arrester 6 Lifeline
2 Permanently installed ladder 7 Connecting line
3 Upper fastening 8 Tensioning device
4 Vertical-lifeline energy absorber 9 Lower fastening
5 Intermediate fastening to rung
Figure 2 — Example of a permanent vertical lifeline
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
Key
1 Overhead anchoring point
2 Lifeline
3 Sliding-type fall arrester
4 Connecting line
5 Tensioning mass

Figure 3 — Example of a temporary vertical lifeline
3.3
sliding-type fall arrester
device which is designed to be attached to and to slide up and down the vertical rail or vertical lifeline in response to
climbing movements, but locks automatically onto the vertical rail or vertical lifeline in response to the sudden motion
of a fall
3.4 Connecting-line definitions
3.4.1
connecting line
line, attached to the sliding-type fall arrester, which is designed to link the sliding-type fall arrester to a fall-arrest
attachment point on the full-body harness
NOTE The connecting line may be a lanyard, an energy absorber, a connector, or any combination of lanyard, energy
absorber and connector.
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
3.4.2
connecting-line length
shortest distance measured between the bearing point of one connecting-line extremity to the other, with the
connecting line held taut
3.4.3
lanyard
finished length of flexible material which may be utilized as a part or the whole of the connecting line
3.4.4
connecting-line energy absorber
component which may be utilized as a part or the whole of the connecting line, which is designed to dissipate the
kinetic energy generated during a fall, and which limits the arresting forces exerted on the vertical rail or vertical lifeline
and faller
3.4.5
connector
component which may be utilized as a part or the whole of the connecting line, and which is used to link the
connecting line to the fall-arrest attachment point on the full-body harness
3.5
anchor connector
component which is used to connect a temporary vertical lifeline directly to an overhead anchoring point
3.6
vertical-lifeline energy absorber
component which may or may not be included at the upper fastening point of a permanent vertical lifeline, or at the
overhead anchoring point of a temporary vertical lifeline, designed to dissipate the kinetic energy generated during
a fall and limit the arresting forces exerted on the lifeline, upper fastening/anchoring point and faller
3.7
opening point
specially designed point on a vertical rail or permanent vertical lifeline, other than the extremities, where a sliding-
type fall arrester may be attached or detached
3.8
opening device
device on a sliding-type fall arrester which allows the arrester to be attached and detached at any intermediate
point on a vertical rail or vertical lifeline
3.9
post-fall arrest suspension
state in which, after having being brought to a complete stop by a fall-arresting means, the faller remains
suspended in the full-body harness
3.10
total mass
sum of the user’s mass and all attached clothing and equipment
3.11
minimum locking-test mass
smallest mass, to the nearest whole kilogram, which, when attached to the raised free end of the connecting line
and then released, will cause the fall arrester to lock on to the vertical rail or vertical lifeline and stay locked
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
3.12 General definitions
3.12.1
component
constituent part of a PFAS or subsystem that has completed the manufacturer’s production cycle and is available
for purchase
3.12.2
subsystem
constituent part of a PFAS which may consist of one or more components, and 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;
b) fall arrest and energy absorption.
3.12.3
personal fall-arrest system
PFAS
assembly of components and subsystems, including a full-body harness worn by the user, which when linked
together in series and when connected to a suitable anchor device will arrest a fall from a height
NOTE A PFAS minimizes the fall-arrest forces, controls the total fall distance to prevent collision with the ground or other
obstruction, and maintains the user in a suitable post-fall arrest suspension attitude for rescue purposes.
4 Requirements
4.1 General
4.1.1 The design of working parts, their location and the protection afforded to them shall be such as to prevent
the possibility of performance being impaired by casual interference.
4.1.2 The working parts shall be smoothly finished and free from defects due to faulty material and manufacture;
there shall be no sharp or rough edges that may cut, abrade or otherwise damage material or cause injury to the
user.
4.1.3 The anchor point for a temporary vertical lifeline shall comply with ISO 14567.
4.2 Requirements for vertical rails
4.2.1 Rail design
A vertical rail shall be so designed as to:
a) be capable of being fastened to a ladder or other structure by a number of brackets at intervals as
recommended by the manufacturer's installation instructions;
b) enable the sliding-type fall arrester to be attached and detached at least at the two extremities of the rail
length, unless the sliding-type fall arrester is designed to be integral with the rail;
c) permit movement of the sliding-type fall arrester in an upward and a downward direction without impeding
movement, especially at joints and at intermediate fastenings;
d) prevent unintentional separation of the sliding-type fall arrester from the rail.
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
4.2.2 Attachment and detachment points for the sliding-type fall arrester
4.2.2.1 Where utilized as attachment and detachment points for a sliding-type fall arrester, the upper and
lower extremities of the rail span shall be fitted with an end stop to prevent the sliding-type fall arrester from running
off the rail unintentionally.
4.2.2.2 Where opening points are in place between the upper and lower extremities of the rail span, they shall
be so designed that they can only be opened by at least two consecutive deliberate manual actions. Upon closing,
the point shall be designed to be automatically locked in place by the engagement of a locking device, and so that,
in normal use, the sliding-type fall arrester cannot become unintentionally separated from the rail.
4.3 Requirements for permanent vertical lifelines
4.3.1 Design
A permanent vertical lifeline shall be so designed as to:
a) be capable of being fastened to a ladder or other structure at the upper and lower extremity and additionally, if
required, by a number of brackets at intervals as recommended by the manufacturer's installation instructions;
b) once installed, be capable of being tensioned as recommended by the manufacturer's installation instructions;
c) enable the sliding-type fall arrester to be attached and detached at points along the lifeline unless the sliding-
type fall arrester is designed to be integral;
d) permit movement of the sliding-type fall arrester in an upward and a downward direction without impeding
movement, especially at intermediate fastenings;
e) prevent unintentional separation of the fall arrester from the lifeline.
4.3.2 Attachment and detachment points for the sliding-type fall arrester
Where opening points are in place between the upper and lower extremities of the lifeline, they shall be so
designed that they can only be opened by at least two consecutive deliberate manual actions. Upon closing, the
point shall be designed to be automatically locked in place by the engagement of a locking device so that, in
normal use, the sliding-type fall arrester cannot become unintentionally separated from the lifeline.
4.4 Requirements for temporary vertical lifelines
A temporary vertical lifeline shall be so designed as to:
a) be capable of being fastened to an overhead anchoring point in accordance with the manufacturer's installation
instructions;
b) enable the sliding-type fall arrester to be attached and detached at least at the lower extremity of the lifeline,
unless the sliding-type fall arrester is designed to be integral;
c) permit movement of the sliding-type fall arrester in an upward and a downward direction, without impeding
movement;
d) prevent unintentional separation of the fall arrester from the lifeline;
e) be capable of being fitted with a tensioning weight or other stabilizing means at the lower extremity.
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
4.5 Vertical-lifeline materials and construction
4.5.1 Fibre ropes and webbing
4.5.1.1 Fibre ropes, webbing and sewing threads for lifelines shall be made from virgin filament or multi-
filament synthetic fibre or fibres suitable for the intended use. The breaking strength of the synthetic fibres shall be
known to be at least 0,6 N/tex.
4.5.1.2 The number of strands of a laid lifeline shall be at least three. Three-strand polyamide lifelines shall
comply with ISO 1140, three-strand polyester lifelines with ISO 1141.
4.5.1.3 Lifelines constructed from braided rope shall comply with EN 892 (single rope) or EN 1891, type A.
Any equivalent material is acceptable.
4.5.1.4 Where lifelines are specified for, or when it is known that lifelines will be used in, work carried out near
welding or oxy-cutting stations, or heat sources, they shall be protected by suitable heat-protective means.
4.5.2 Wire ropes
The minimum diameter of wire rope material used in the construction of lifelines shall be 8 mm.
4.5.3 Terminations
4.5.3.1 Eye splices in laid fibre rope shall consist of four tucks using all the yarns in the strands and two
tapered tucks. The length of the splicing tails emerging after the last tuck shall be at least one rope diameter. Tails
shall be whipped to the rope and protected with a rubber or plastic sleeve, or otherwise integrally finished to
prevent the termination or splice from unravelling. Sealing compounds used shall be compatible with the rope
material. Eyes shall be formed around a plastic or metal thimble of size and strength in accordance with the rope
manufacturer’s recommendations.
4.5.3.2 Stitched eye terminations on webbing lifelines shall be sewn using lock stitching. Thread shall be
compatible with the webbing material and shall be a contrasting colour to facilitate inspection. Reinforcement or
another method shall be used to protect terminations from concentrated wear at all webbing to metal fitting
interfaces. Webbing ends shall be seared or otherwise prevented from unravelling.
4.5.3.3 Eye terminations of wire rope lifelines shall be manufactured with:
a) either a spliced eye with one compression swage with thimble;
b) or a return eye with a minimum of two compression swages with thimble.
4.5.3.4 Selection of swage fitting, size, material type, compression die size/pressure, position of swage(s) on
rope, and thimble size, shall be done in accordance with the rope manufacturer’s recommendations. In particular,
aluminium swages are recommended for steel wire ropes and copper swages for stainless steel wire ropes.
4.5.3.5 Wire rope ends shall be brazed, whipped or have an equivalent finish to prevent unravelling. Brazing
shall be carried out prior to forming the eye.
4.5.3.6 Knots shall not be used to form lifeline terminations, unless these terminations are permanent, sealed
and made by the manufacturer. The minimum tensile strength of such a termination shall be in accordance with
4.14.1.
4.6 Vertical-lifeline energy absorbers
4.6.1 Materials and mechanisms for vertical-lifeline energy absorbers shall be protected from external
contaminants, sharp objects and adverse climate by a protective cover.
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
4.6.2 Where energy absorbers are specified for, or when it is known that energy absorbers will be used in, work
carried out near welding or oxy-cutting stations, or heat sources, they shall be protected by suitable heat-protective
means.
4.7 Sliding-type fall arrester requirements
4.7.1 Design
4.7.1.1 The sliding-type fall arrester shall incorporate an automatic locking feature which is capable of
preventing further plummeting of the arrester down the vertical rail or vertical lifeline during a fall by engaging a
braking device. The automatic locking function shall not rely solely on inertia sensing.
4.7.1.2 Sliding-type fall arresters shall be capable of locking onto the vertical lifeline irrespective of whether the
lifeline is tight or slack.
4.7.1.3 If the sliding-type fall arrester has a manual locking feature, the design shall be such that it shall not be
possible for the automatic locking function to be overridden.
4.7.1.4 If the sliding-type fall arrester is equipped with an opening device, it shall be designed so that it can
only be detached from the vertical rail or vertical lifeline by at least two consecutive deliberate manual actions.
Upon engaging the vertical rail or vertical lifeline, the opening device shall be designed to become automatically
locked by the activation of a locking device so that, in normal use, the sliding-type fall arrester cannot become
unintentionally separated from the vertical rail or vertical lifeline.
4.7.1.5 If the sliding-type fall arrester is capable of being attached to the vertical rail or vertical lifeline upside
down in error, at either extremity, or at any other point on the vertical rail or vertical lifeline such that the automatic
arrest function becomes impaired or disabled, then the sliding-type fall arrester or vertical rail or vertical lifeline shall
be so designed to prevent this possibility, or the arrester shall be clearly marked to warn the climber of this danger.
4.7.2 Requirements for connecting lines
4.7.2.1 Connecting-line length
The connecting-line length for vertical rails and permanent vertical-lifeline systems shall not exceed 23 cm. The
connecting-line length for temporary vertical-lifeline systems shall not exceed 1,0 m.
4.7.2.2 Materials and construction
Fibre ropes, webbing and sewing threads for connecting lines shall comply with 4.5.1. Terminations shall comply
with 4.5.3.
4.7.2.3 Connecting-line energy absorbers
4.7.2.3.1 Materials and mechanisms for connecting-line energy absorbers shall be protected from external
contaminants, sharp objects and adverse climate by a protective cover.
4.7.2.3.2 Where energy absorbers are specified for, or when it is known that energy absorbers will be used in,
work carried out near welding or oxy-cutting stations, or heat sources, they shall be protected by suitable heat-
protective means.
4.8 Requirements for connectors
Where connectors can be removed without the use of a tool, they shall meet the requirements of
ISO 10333-5:2001. Where connectors require the use of a tool for removal, they shall meet the requirement of 4.3
(static strength) and 4.4 (corrosion resistance) of ISO 10333-5:2001.
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ISO 10333-4:2002(E)
4.9 Corrosion resistance
4.9.1 When tested in accordance with 5.2.1, all metallic materials shall be free from corrosion of the base metal,
as visible to the unaided eye. A sliding-type fall arrester shall not show signs of corrosion that could affect the
automatic locking function. Where necessary to gain access to internal elements, the device shall be dismantled in
accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The post-test presence of white scale or tarnishing is acceptable.
4.9.2 Repeat tests shall be carried out for each type/size of rail or lifeline specified for use with the sliding-type
fall arrester.
4.10 Locking performance after conditioning
4.10.1 A section of vertical rail or vertical lifeline including the sliding-type fall arrester shall be heat conditioned in
accordance with 5.2.2.2, after which the arrester shall lock without subsequent slippage, and shall be capable of
being unlocked when tested in accordance with 5.2.2.7.
4.10.2 A section of vertical rail or vertical lifeline including the sliding-type fall arrester shall be cold conditioned in
accordance with 5.2.2.3, after which the arrester shall lock without subsequent slippage, and shall be capable of
being unlocked when tested in accordance with 5.2.2.7.
4.10.3 A section of vertical rail or vertical lifeline including the sliding-type fall arrester shall be wet spray
conditi
...