The Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) Lift Inspector Certification Program has earned accreditation from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), providing assurance that the program conforms to vehicle lift safety standards currently in place and all conformity assessment requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services as defined in ISO/IEC 17065. Awarded Sept. 14, the accreditation is the result of a detailed analysis and a months-long evaluation by ANSI auditors that examined the Lift Inspector Certification Program’s materials and processes, as well as ALI’s policies and procedures.
The ALI Lift Inspector Certification Program qualifies and certifies inspectors who demonstrate that they are capable of properly inspecting any type of vehicle lift. Since the program was launched in the fourth quarter of 2012, more than 350 inspectors have earned certification. More than 400 additional inspectors are currently working their way toward certification.
“Just as ALI’s Lift Inspector Certification Program provides independent qualification of an inspector’s abilities, ANSI accreditation serves as third-party verification that ALI meets the highest internationally recognized requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services. For those in the vehicle service and repair industry, the importance of ANSI accreditation is that it provides independent validation that the program’s content complies with ANSI/ALI ALOIM, the standard covering lift inspection, operation and maintenance,” says R.W. “Bob” O’Gorman, ALI president. “ANSI accreditation is a big win for the hundreds of lift inspectors who have been working hard to improve and standardize the lift inspection process across the U.S. and Canada. For lift owners, accreditation provides greater confidence that the ALI Certified Lift Inspectors they hire are thoroughly qualified to carry out their duties.”
A lift inspection conducted by an ALI Certified Lift Inspector includes a review of operator training and lift maintenance logs in addition to the electrical and mechanical evaluation of the lift itself. This ensures that nothing contained in the ANSI/ALI ALOIM standard will go unnoticed. This is important, because health and safety officials rely on guidance from ANSI/ALI ALOIM when making determinations about the safety of a service bay. Since Lift Inspector Certification Program materials were developed to cover all of the requirements found in the standard, lift owners can be assured that no safety issues that officials check for will be overlooked.
At the end of a comprehensive inspection performed by an ALI Certified Lift Inspector, a label that shows when the inspection took place is applied to each lift that passes. This label makes it easy for health and safety officials to see at a glance if the lift’s inspection is up-to-date. As a result of ANSI accreditation, the 2016 inspection label will bear ALI’s ANSI accreditation number and appropriate accreditation references.
“The added ANSI accreditation number and supporting text will strengthen the Certified Lift Inspection label by making it clear that the lift has been inspected in accordance with a program that is independently reviewed and accredited by ANSI,” says O’Gorman.
The Lift Inspector Certification Program is the second ALI initiative to be accredited by ANSI. The first, the Lift Certification Program, earned accreditation in 2001 and continues to be regularly evaluated by ANSI. The Lift Certification Program verifies that certified lifts have been tested to meet safety and performance requirements outlined in ANSI/ALI ALCTV, the national standard for lift construction, testing and validation.
Both of ALI’s ANSI accreditations are recognized by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), an organization that arranges for accreditations to be accepted across national borders. For vehicle lift users throughout North America, IAF recognition provides confidence that the Lift Inspector Certification Program meets the requirements of any applicable national standards.
To find an ALI Certified Lift Inspector near you, visit www.autolift.org/find-a-certified-auto-lift-inspector or call 607-756-7775. You can also connect with ALI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LiftInstitute, on Twitter at twitter.com/LiftInstitute and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/LiftInstitute.
