S-5! Sets Industry Standard for Testing & Certifying 'Snow Retention' Devices

Previously, there had been no ‘industry standard’ or mandate for the production and testing of snow retention devices

The metal roofing accessories manufacturer S-5! announced today it has established a new industry-accepted benchmark for standing seam metal roof-mounted rail-type snow retention systems that meets Evaluation Criteria 029-2018 compliance.

In a Nov. 2 news release, S-5! said it received an Evaluation Report from the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, or IAPMO, certifying its snow retention system complies with the criteria in the code.

In the absence of a specific code that covers snow retention from a state regulatory agency, compliance with the IAPMO EC 029–2018 has been “code equivalent,” meaning it may be used by specification to qualify proper design, testing and production.

Evaluation Reports from IAPMO certifying compliance to an EC are widely accepted by jurisdictional code compliance agencies, whereas other means of evaluation often are not, S-5! said in its release. Of note is that the IAPMO EC 029–2018 is also “…harmonious with the Metal Construction Association’s document on “Qualifying Snow Retention Systems for Metal Roofing.’”

S-5! said the EC document from IAPMO is analogous to an Acceptance Criteria document from the International Code Council-Evaluation Service, or ICC-ES, and was released after consideration by a consensus of professionals concerning the specifics of how a product or system is to be evaluated and how the results are interpreted and applied.

“I am thrilled that there is finally an industry consensus standard for testing and certifying snow retention devices, and that S-5! has been approved to this new standard,” said Rob Haddock, CEO and founder of S-5!

“Product production, testing and certification are of utmost importance to public safety,” continued Haddock. “While other providers have joined the marketplace since I first invented S-5! penetration-free attachment technologies, this market space has been completely unregulated.”

Haddock went on to add the result had been many applications were not appropriately engineered for specific design loads, posing a threat to public safety and potential liability for the owner, contractor and/or designer.

“I expect that this new standard will set the bar for the importance of tested and certified snow retention systems, and I hope other producers will follow with compliance,” Haddock said.

For more information, visit S-5.com.