Davit Testing
Proof-load testing and inspection of davit arms, sockets and bases used for suspended access, façade maintenance and confined-space rescue — with a record for every test.
Davit testing for arms that carry people
A davit is only fit for suspended access or rescue if the arm, the socket and the base still hold the load they were designed for. A socket can look sound and still hide a failed resin, a cracked weld or a base that has moved. Power Comms Structures carries out davit testing across the UK: we inspect the assembly, apply the specified proof load, and record the result.
The work covers roof-mounted and façade davits, portable arms dropped into permanent sockets, and rescue davits over tanks and confined spaces. Testing follows the manufacturer’s stated proof load and the British and European standards that apply to that system. We do not sign off a davit that has not held its load.
Arms, sockets and bases
A complete davit test looks at the whole load path, not just the arm. We check pins, sockets, pedestals and the fixing into concrete or steel, then proof-load the assembly in place. If you have the original design load or the manufacturer’s data, send it with the enquiry — the test is set to that figure, not to a number chosen on the day.
Where a socket or base will not take the load, we stop and report it, with photographs, so the fixing can be repaired or replaced before anyone is suspended from it. New sockets installed as part of a wider fall-protection package can be tested at the same visit as pull testing and eyebolt work.
Certificates the building owner can file
Handover is a certificate for each davit or socket: location, load applied, date and photographs. Facilities teams and principal contractors can put that straight into the O&M or CDM file and diary the next test. Periodic retesting is available for estates that want one contractor accountable for the davits year to year.
Tell us how many davits you have, where they sit, and whether the original load data is available. We will confirm method, access and a clear price for the davit testing visit.
Typical scope
- Davit arm proof-load testing
- Socket and pedestal testing
- Base and structural fixing inspection
- Suspended-access and rescue davits
- Test certificates and photographs
- Defect reporting before return to service
- Periodic retest programmes
Questions about this work
What does a davit test include?
We inspect the arm, pins, socket or pedestal and the fixing into concrete or steel, then apply the manufacturer’s specified proof load in place. You receive a certificate with the location, the load and the result, plus photographs.
Do you test the socket and base, or only the arm?
The whole load path. A socket can look sound and still hide a failed resin, a cracked weld or a base that has moved. If the socket or base will not take the load, we stop and report it before anyone is suspended from it.
Can davit testing be combined with anchor pull tests?
Yes. New sockets installed with a wider fall-protection package can be tested on the same visit as pull testing and eyebolt work, so the roof is not mobilised twice.