Guardian Fall Protection Issues Inspection Notice for Specific Swivel Snaphooks

Guardian Fall Protection has issued an inspection notice for products that may have create an unsafe condition caused by a supplier defect in a specific style of swivel snaphook supplied to Guardian between August 26, 2011 to June 25, 2012. The products this notice applies to includes:

• MK EDGE Series
• YELLOW JACKET Series
• DAYTONA Series
• 3-WAY RESCUE RETRIEVAL Series
• AARDVARK Series
• EDGE Series 20ft.- 30ft. lengths (this notice DOES NOT apply to the 11ft. web EDGE style SRLs)
• ROPE LIFELINE PART #01131 6 dual leg shock rope lanyard with polyplus rope with aluminum rebar hooks and high strength swivel snaphook
• CUSTOM PARTS manufactured after August 26, 2011 with swivel snaphooks

Guardian Fall Proteciton was made aware of a non-injury incident involving a self-retracting lifeline (SRL) where a swivel snaphook experienced a failure. The nut that holds the swivel eye to the hook body backed off the hook stem and came loose. The non-injury incident was discovered during initial inspection of the equipment performed by a user.

The potentially dangerous and faulty condition was caused when the supplier of a particular swivel snaphook missed a swaging operation that encapsulates the swivel eye and prevents the threaded nut from backing off of the hook stem. This situation is restricted to a certain type of swivel snaphook supplied to Guardian Fall Protection and is identified in this notice. Upon discovery, both Guardian and the supplier have increased inspection processes to ensure this cannot occur in the future. Inventories have been inspected for this condition upon discovery, and no defective units were found. Any products received after June 26 have been 100 percent inspected specifically for this condition and any other defect.

The company has been asking you to please inspect your inventory of the aforementioned products, as well as directly communicate this inspection notification to customers who have purchased Guardian SRLs since August 26, 2011. If customers have products with defective hooks, GFP will replace them and cover the freight costs. GFP's network of territory managers and representatives can assist you at your request.