FIXED BEAM ANCHOR – INSPECTION NOTICE (FOR SALT-WATER/CHLORIDE/SULFIDE ENVIRONMENTS)
The DBI-SALA Fixed Beam Anchor is an anchorage connector for a personal fall arrest system. It is designed to be attached to an I-beam. Capital Safety’s user manual warns about “Environmental Hazards” and that certain chemicals and corrosive environments may damage the equipment.
Capital Safety has become aware that the service life of the beam hooks identified in the images below (in red font) may be impaired by stress corrosion cracking when the anchor is exposed to salt-water or other chloride or sulfide-containing environments.
This is not a product recall. If you have these units deployed in salt-water or other chloride or sulfide-containing environments, and if you purchased the units prior to January 1, 2014, we recommend you:
1) have the units visually inspected by a competent person; and
2) if any corrosion, pitting or cracking is found on the beam hooks or the support tube (see illustrations below), remove the unit from service and return via your supplier/distributor to Capital Safety for evaluation and potential replacement under warranty at Capital Safety’s reasonable discretion and expense.
3) if no corrosion, pitting or cracking is found on the beam hooks or the support tube, the units are safe to remain in service provided they are inspected every 90 days and removed from service if any corrosion is found anywhere on the unit.
In extreme cases, the integrity of the beam hooks can be severely compromised to the point of failure by stress corrosion cracking as seen in the photographs below:
Illustrative images of extreme cases: pitting and corrosion and cracked beam hook
Since becoming aware of this issue, Capital Safety has changed the metal alloy of the beam hooks to make them resistant to stress corrosion cracking in salt-water or other chloride or sulfide-containing environments.
Capital Safety has also revised its User Manual concerning inspection as follows: “IMPORTANT: Any observed corrosion or rust on the anchor is a potential safety concern because it can weaken the product and create a risk of injury or death to workers. Any anchor showing signs of corrosion or rust should be removed from service immediately.”
Part numbers of potentially affected units are: # 2108406 (prev. # 08406), 2108407 (prev. #1009645), 2108408 (prev. # 009755), 2108409 (prev. # 010274) and 2108410 through 2108415.
If corroded fixed beam anchor units are removed from service, workers must use alternative fall protection anchors or systems pending installation of replacement beam anchors. Units removed from service should be returned via distribution to Capital Safety for potential replacement under warranty at Capital Safety’s reasonable discretion and expense, or users can call our Customer Service department directly at +33 497 10 00 10 to arrange to return their unit for potential replacement under warranty at
Capital Safety’s reasonable discretion and expense.
Capital Safety will post this Notice on its website at www.capitalsafety.com. Please direct any questions you may have to Tomas Magyarics, Quality Manager at +421 917 778 105.