GB 38230-2025Fall protection - Descender devices (English PDF)

Foreword

This document complies with the provisions of GB/T 1.1-2020 "Standardization Work Guidelines Part

1.Structure and Drafting Rules of Standardization Documents". Drafting. This document replaces GB/T 38230-2019 "Fall Protection Descending Devices". Compared with GB/T 38230-2019, the only changes are structural adjustments. Aside from editorial changes, the main technical changes are as follows:

---The scope has been changed (see Chapter 1, Chapter 1 of the.2019 edition);

---Terminology and definitions have been changed (see Chapter 3, Chapter 3 of the.2019 edition);

---The labeling for the descent control has been changed (see 4.3,.2019 version 4.3);

---The design structure has been changed (see 5.1.1,.2019 version 5.1.1);

---The descent rope has been changed (see 5.1.2,.2019 version 5.1.2);

---The descent rope physics have been changed (see 5.2,.2019 version 5.2);

---The descent energy has been changed (see 5.3,.2019 version 5.3);

---Performance settings have been changed (see 5.7, version

---Preprocessing has been modified (see 6.2,.2019 version 6.2);

---The minimum breaking strength test for descent ropes has been revised (see 6.3,.2019 version of 6.3);

---The descent energy test has been modified (see 6.5,.2019 version 6.5);

---The factory inspection has been changed (see 7.2,.2019 version 7.2);

1 Scope

GB 38230-2025 is the Chinese national standard on fall protection - descender devices, in the field of environment and health protection, safety. It carries no /T suffix, which in the Chinese system means compliance is mandatory: a product or a practice within its scope has to meet it to be lawfully made, sold or carried out in China. It was issued on 29 August 2025 by the Ministry of Emergency Management, and has been in force since 1 September 2026. Classification: ICS 13.340.99, CCS C73. This page is published from the official record of the standard held by the Chinese standards administration: the identification, the dates, the classification and the issuing body are taken from there. The clause text, the tables and the numeric limits are in the document itself, which is delivered complete in English translation.

This document specifies the classification, grading and marking, technical requirements, inspection rules, labeling, and manufacturer-provided information for descent control devices. The corresponding testing methods were developed. This document applies to automatic and manual slow-descent devices used vertically. This document does not apply to descent devices used in building fire escape or explosive atmospheres.

2 Normative references

The contents of the following documents, through normative references within the text, constitute essential provisions of this document. Dated citations are not included. For references to documents, only the version corresponding to that date applies to this document; for undated references, the latest version (including all amendments) applies. This document.

GB/T 10125 Corrosion test under artificial atmosphere - Salt spray test

GB 23469 Fall Protection Connectors

GB 24544 Fall Protection Differential Controller

3 Terms and Definitions

The following terms and definitions apply to this document.

3.1 Descender devices A device that allows users to descend slowly from a height to a reference surface (or ground) for high-altitude operations, either independently or with the assistance of others, at a certain speed. Note

4 Classification, Grading and Labeling

4.1 Classification of Descending Devices The automatic descent device is Type I, and the manual descent device is Type II.

4.2 Classification of descent control devices Descending devices are classified into the following levels according to their descent energy.

---Level A. Energy drop W >= 7.5 × 10^6 J;

---Level B. Energy drop 1.5 × 10^6 J <= W < 7.5 × 10^6 J;

---Level C. Energy drop 0.5 × 10^6 J <= W < 1.5 × 10^6 J;

---Class D. For single use only; descent energy depends on maximum descent height and maximum rated load.

4.3 Marking of the descent device The markings on the descent device consist of "classification/descent energy - maximum descent height per attempt".