When we first embarked upon this project, one of the first things we looked into was how to ensure the product could be proven as safe. This was, is, and always will be the most important factor to us at PIVOT.

We test to the British Standard BS EN ISO 20957-1 Stationary Training Equipment. We've taken our time to ensure we fully understand the requirements and our rated maximums are conservative.

We do all our own testing and we test regularly, every time we make even a small design change which could impact strength. We don't just test for static loads, which are easy to test. We test dynamically also, which we believe is even more important, but it is much, much more difficult to perform.

If you'd like to read more on the technical aspects of our testing, please read on.

To enable us to test our equipment in dynamic scenarios – such as simulating a 130kg person performing 12,000 pull-ups as required by the our chosen Safety Standard, we developed our own computer-controlled test rig. This means we are able to test whenever we need to at no additional cost. There is no barrier to us performing adequate safety testing. Every time we make a change which could alter the strength or fatigue resistance of the equipment, we can test it.

Our test device has a number of modes. We can instruct it to push or pull with a force of up to 7,500 Newtons, which is equivalent to 765kg, and we use this mode for static testing. Where we specify a rated maximum of 130kg (for our bodyweight apparatus – pull-up bars and dip-bars), the safety standard dictates a 'safety factor' of x2.5. So our 130kg rating means we must test that it can hold 325kg for 5 minutes and then return to it's previous position. This indicates that it has not bent under the weight/force. These are simple and quick tests to perform and while they can be completed with a large stack of weights, there is more risk to the safety tester. With our test rig, the tester can stand some metres away and instruct our test rig to increase the force, hold it, and then release the force.

We can also instruct it to repeat a set force for as many repetitions as required. For the British Standard, this is 12,000 repetitions for home equipment and 100,000 for commercial equipment. For these tests, the safety standard requires us to use the rated force/weight, so we set it to push or pull 130kg (1275 Newtons). We tell it how many repetitions it must complete and when we start the test it will pull or push on the apparatus in a cycle, moving from a lower force (say 100kg) to the upper force of 130kg, then loosen off again to 100kg, and so on until it has completed 12,000 cycles. The device constantly measures the distance it travels so we can keep a close eye on whether anything is bending over time.

Our Power Rack exceeded the capabilities of our test rig. 750kg was handled with ease, as we knew it would (a power rack is an inherently strong structure). As this is considerably higher than any human can lift we take the view that we have done more than required to test its safety. With the additional complexity in our power rack uprights over a generic rack, we can look to the individual components involved in the telescopic feet to get an idea of how much weight it could take – just in case Superman were to buy our product, he had enough lead weights and a barbell capable of holding them. The lever which actuates each foot is rated at well over one metric tonne, and the levelling feet are rated at one metric tonne each. It's important to note these are *rated* figures and hence there will be a considerable safety factor involved in calculating the quoted figures. Even ignoring this safety factor, we can confidently say that the PIVOT Power Rack can safely hold two metric tonnes – as there are two uprights, obviously. You've got some work to do if you're going to push our equipment!