TÜV Rheinland, a global testing, inspection and certification company, has announced it has received accreditation from the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) as an inspection body to test vehicle lift safety in the United States and Canada. This accreditation means TÜV Rheinland can now offer complete testing of automotive lift equipment to ALI standards for North American, European and global markets.

Automotive lifts elevate cars and trucks for service at dealerships, mechanics, auto body shops or at oil or brake service locations. Not only must those lifts raise a multi-ton vehicle up and down without damage, but also there is the health and safety of the mechanics and technicians to be considered. It is with this reasoning that ALI created the Lift Certification Program in 1993.

Building codes in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. require that all installed vehicle lifts meet the Automotive Lift Construction, Testing and Validation (ALCTV) safety standards issued by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and ALI. TÜV Rheinland will now be able to test products against ANSI/ALI ALCTV-2011, which is the current recognized safety standard.

Only those lifts tested by independent third-party nationally accredited testing laboratories can carry the gold “ALI Certified” label and are then listed in the ALI Directory of Certified Lifts. Lift testing involves verifying the machinery can actually hold 150 percent of its rated load capacity, system and component testing, visual inspection and a verification of structural integrity. In addition, instructional materials for the proper operation of the lift must meet quality standards.

In addition to the ANSI/ALI ALCTV-2011 standard, TÜV Rheinland also is accredited to test to the following:

• ANSI UL 201 – Safety standard for garage equipment
• CAN CSA No. 68 – Safety standard for motor-operated equipment
• TUV NOTIFIED BODY MACHINERY DIRECTIVE – Certification for Europe
• EMC DIRECTIVE 2004/108/EC and 2014/30/EU – Electromagnetic Compatibility
• REACH – Registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals
• International Approvals – TUV Rheinland provides testing and certification for global markets.

For more information on which countries and what types of can be products tested, visit tuv.com/us.