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ASME B107.60-2004 — Pry Bars
🛠️ ASME B107.60-2004 is the ASME B107 family standard dedicated to pry bars. It defines performance and safety requirements, test methods, and limitations of safe use for pry bars intended for separating, prying, ripping, lifting, scraping, and aligning applications. Pry bars are among the most frequently used hand tools in maintenance, automotive service, construction, and equipment installation — and also among the most misused, so the Standard places safe-use limitations on a par with performance requirements.
💡 Developed by Subcommittee 4 (Striking/Struck Tools) of the ASME B107 Committee and approved as an American National Standard on October 5, 2004, this is a brand-new standard — not a revision.
1. Scope and Overview 📌
Section 1 states that the Standard covers pry bars intended for separating, prying, ripping, lifting, scraping, and aligning. Because design variety is enormous and uses differ, the Standard does not attempt to cover every variant; it focuses on specific types of pry bars and their intended safe uses. It declares that:
- Pry bars are not designed to be struck — hammering a pry bar to gain more leverage is the leading cause of fracture and flying debris injuries.
- The Standard serves as a guide for selecting, testing, and using these tools and does not specify manufacturing details.
- It may also guide the development of manuals, posters, and worker safety training, and may be referenced by state or regulatory bodies.
⚠️ A pry bar is not a chisel and not a punch. Attempting to increase leverage by striking the pry end or handle violates the Standard’s safe-use principles and risks spalling of hardened ends and high-velocity debris.
2. Types and Technical Requirements 🔩
The Standard classifies pry bars into five types (Type I through Type V) by structural feature, with appearance, material, and performance requirements in Section 5. The types and their typical uses are summarized below:
| Type | Designation | Structural Feature | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type I | Close Quarter | Compact, short pry end and handle | Delicate prying and alignment in confined spaces |
| Type II | Die Setter | Longer handle, wider pry end | Die mounting, positioning heavy items |
| Type III | Handled | Long pry bar with separate handle | Demolition, lifting large objects |
| Type IV | Pinch | Flat pointed tip, often hooked | Nail pulling, separating joined parts |
| Type V | Rolling Head | Rolling fulcrum head | Rolling and moving heavy loads |
The Standard imposes strength requirements on the prying end, point end, and handle, and requires that external surfaces be free from cracks, burrs, and other safety-affecting defects. Prying and point ends are typically forged and heat treated for bending and spalling resistance.
3. Test Methods and Acceptance 🔬
Section 6 defines four core tests, each with its own specification table (Tables 1 through 4):
- Prying test: a specified load is applied to the prying end per Table 1 to verify structural strength; no service-affecting permanent deformation or fracture is allowed.
- Point end test: a specified load is applied to the tip per Table 2 to verify tip strength and wear resistance.
- Handle tensile force test: per Table 3, verifying the handle-to-body connection strength so the handle cannot pull out in service.
- Handle impact test: per Table 4, verifying crack and fracture resistance of the handle under impact.
✅ Passing the four tests shows the pry bar has adequate structural strength within its intended use — but “passing the test” does not mean “arbitrary overload is allowed”; test loads are verification baselines, not permitted service limits.
4. Engineering Practice and Safety Limits 🛠️
- 🔍 Selection: choose Type I in confined spaces, Type II for die adjustment, Type III for demolition and heavy lifting, Type IV for nail pulling and separation, Type V for rolling moves.
- 🔧 Technique: keep the fulcrum stable and apply force along a sensible direction relative to the bar axis; avoid side prying that bends or fractures the bar.
- 📊 Load awareness: the force a pry bar can apply grows with its length; a long bar is easier but the pry end sees much larger moments — never overload.
- 📋 Inspection: check the prying end and tip for cracks, rolled edges, or deformation before use; retire damaged tools and never “repair” hardened ends by grinding.
Purchasing guidance is also part of responsible use. The Standard does not require manufacturers to declare performance markings, so buyers should request evidence of conformance — for example, test reports for the prying, point-end, handle tensile, and handle impact tests — and should store bars so that prying ends are not knocked against hard surfaces. Teams that follow the Standard for training and poster material generally see fewer struck-bar injuries, since the single most important rule — never strike a pry bar — is emphasized consistently.
🚨 Safe-use limitations: never strike the pry bar; never use it as a jack or load-bearing support; never extend leverage with a cheater pipe; always wear eye protection against spalled debris.
5. Frequently Asked Questions ❓
❓ Q: Can I hammer a pry bar to gain more prying force?
A: Absolutely not. The Standard is explicit that pry bars are not designed to be struck; striking hardened pry ends causes spalling and high-velocity debris — a classic cause of serious injury.
A: Absolutely not. The Standard is explicit that pry bars are not designed to be struck; striking hardened pry ends causes spalling and high-velocity debris — a classic cause of serious injury.
❓ Q: Does B107.60 specify manufacturing processes?
A: No. The Standard’s purpose is not to specify manufacturing details but to define performance and safety requirements, test methods, and safe-use limitations; the manufacturer chooses the process as long as products pass the required tests.
A: No. The Standard’s purpose is not to specify manufacturing details but to define performance and safety requirements, test methods, and safe-use limitations; the manufacturer chooses the process as long as products pass the required tests.
🔍 Q: Does passing the tests permit arbitrary overload?
A: No. Test loads are verification baselines for normal use; overload, cheater bars, and side prying push actual stresses beyond the tested conditions and invite fracture.
A: No. Test loads are verification baselines for normal use; overload, cheater bars, and side prying push actual stresses beyond the tested conditions and invite fracture.
🔧 Q: Why can a Type V rolling-head bar move heavy objects?
A: Its head acts as a rolling fulcrum, reducing friction while providing a lever point, so a heavy load can be lifted and moved — a common tool in heavy equipment installation.
A: Its head acts as a rolling fulcrum, reducing friction while providing a lever point, so a heavy load can be lifted and moved — a common tool in heavy equipment installation.
📋 Q: How can a facility demonstrate that its pry bars conform?
A: Request supplier test reports covering the prying, point-end, handle tensile, and handle impact tests, and repeat spot checks when tools are reconditioned or after any suspected overload. Train crews with the Hand Tools Institute guide and the Standard’s safety chapter, and keep a written safe-use policy that prohibits striking bars, using them as jacking supports, and extending leverage with pipes.
A: Request supplier test reports covering the prying, point-end, handle tensile, and handle impact tests, and repeat spot checks when tools are reconditioned or after any suspected overload. Train crews with the Hand Tools Institute guide and the Standard’s safety chapter, and keep a written safe-use policy that prohibits striking bars, using them as jacking supports, and extending leverage with pipes.
