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HISTORY Serving responsible manufacturers and those working within the automotive lift industry for more than 60 years, ALI’s achievements on behalf of the industry and positive impact on automotive lift safety can be easily realized by viewing the interactive timeline below. Interested in printing out the entire history of ALI? Click here. Click on any date below view more information about ALI's history. Third-Party Testing has Become an Industry Requirement In 1945, emerging from the industrial chaos of WWII, the need for an association of automotive lift manufacturers was realized. Few lifts had been produced after 1940. The manufacturers that survived the war were ready to resume production, but steel and most other raw materials used to produce automotive lifts were still under government allocation. High grade steel, required for machined pistons and cylinders and for forming superstructure components, was in short supply, and scrap steel of questionable quality was being reprocessed to manufacture some lifts. The quality of the lifts produced and the safety of the lift operator were of primary concern to the Institute in 1945, and that concern continues in the forefront of ALI activities today. Read about industry milestones and those associated with ALI’s formation:
In 1947, after 2 years of almost constant committee meetings and correspondence with the National Bureau of Standards, the first nationally recognized Commodity Standard governing Automotive Lifts (CS142) was hammered out and issued by the U.S. Government. CS142 was a design standard covering the strength factors and material requirements for manufacturing IN-GROUND lifts, the only type of lift produced in this country until the mid-1970s. This original 1947 standard was revised several times before the final version, CS142-68, was officially withdrawn by the National Bureau of Standards in 1975, having been replaced by ANSI B153.1-1974. By the late 1960s, the U.S. Department of Commerce directed the NBS to withdraw from Commodity Standards activities and ALI was advised by the NBS to approach the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) with this industry standard. In 1971, ANSI was enthusiastically backing public sentiment which called for replacing design standards with performance standards. This meant that standards should not provide requirements for materials and manufacturing methods, but rather only state how these products should perform in service. At the same time, all industries were living in anticipation of the impending impact of the OSHA regulations, enacted in 1974. In rewriting the lift standard, ALI addressed safety issues with vigor. Safety devices that previously had been optional items when purchasing lifts, were made mandatory in manufacturing, although some major purchasers, including oil companies, signed waivers authorizing lift products to be shipped without selected safety devices. In-Ground Lifts Dominate into the '70s In 1974, the first version of ANSI B153.1 was issued. This National Standard addressed in-ground lifts, with a passing reference to the screw-drive style of lift, which was a surface-mounted type of lift just being introduced in the United States. By 1975, 2 oil crises had hit the United States which curtailed gas/repair station construction and led to the conversion of many older stations to convenience stores. Lift sales dropped 65 percent from 1969 to 1975. Several manufacturers failed and others merged, so that by 1975 there were 7 remaining lift manufacturers. All 7 supported and participated in ALI programs, and an estimated 98% of all new lifts sold in America were produced by these companies. Rusting and pitted in-ground lifts that had been removed from decommissioned service stations and were now of questionable quality and serviceability became a glut on the market and were being reclaimed by "junk" dealers and sold. This became a potential liability for the original lift manufacturer when lifts were re-installed in a different facility. Although safety was a primary concern of ALI, the industry could do little except watch it happen. Surface Mounted Lift Sales Increase in the '80s Financially, ALI was faced with extinction in the mid-1970s. By this time, however, a new concept in lifts was taking a foothold in the U.S. marketplace. By 1975 about 10% of new lift sales in the now depressed market were comprised of surface-mounted lifts which used various operating principles. Many of these lifts came from overseas, some were being made by ALI members and a few non-member companies were initiating production of these "new" style lifts. ALI adopted a revised Constitution and By-Laws in 1973, further revised it in 1975, to open what previously had been an "in-ground" lift manufacturers association so as to allow domestic producers of surface-mounted lifts and national marketers of foreign lifts (Affiliates) to become members. The economy improved, ALI grew, and in 1984 ALI had 16 member companies, representing over 95% of U.S. sales, and volume had returned to earlier levels. Lift Markets Expand Meanwhile, vehicle body construction was changing. Cars that were previously assembled onto underbody frames were now adopting the unibody and other frameless designs. For years, all major domestic and foreign automobile manufacturers replied to ALI's annual surveys requesting the car manufacturers to furnish ALI with their recommended pick-up points so that, in turn, lift manufacturers could supply lift owners with the necessary adapters, etc. that would reach those points and offer safety to lift operators. With the advent of the "frameless" car designs, ALI no longer benefited from their input and ALI’s annual survey was discontinued (see below for additional discussion on lifting points). Safety - The Primary Concern of ALI When OSHA became law in 1974, ALI developed an "Operating and Maintenance Instructions" laminated 3"x 5" hang tag that was shipped with each new lift and was also made available as a retrofit for older lifts. In 1980, this became an 8-1/2"x 11" "Safety Tips" glossy card that was generic to the lifts then being produced. In the mid-1980s ALI developed its "Lifting it Right" Safety Manual and a special assessment of the 17 members was required to type set and produce the first edition. This assessment was a big step considering that ALI's normal annual revenue had been minimal. Over 1 million copies of this Safety Manual, have been distributed by members, or sold to vo-tech/trade schools or the public since 1987. The 1974 version of the ANSI B-153.1 standard went through revisions (1981 and 1990), and ANSI/ALI ALCTV-1998, "Safety Requirements for the Construction, Testing and Validation of Automotive Lifts" was adopted as the new nationally recognized consensus standard for the lift industry on October 1, 1998, of significant importance was the requirement for independent, third-party product testing and certification. The 1998 version of this American National Standard was withdrawn on November 4, 2007 and replaced by American National Standard ANSI/ALI ALCTV-2006. This current ANSI standard requires the shipping of safety materials equivalent to those developed by ALI with each new lift. ALI Membership Grows with Record Lift Sales With the U.S./Canada Trade pact, the ALI Constitution and By-Laws was rewritten in 1983 to accept Canadian lift producers as manufacturing members; also, a membership initiation fee was introduced. Lift sales escalated during the early '80s, and the number both of lift manufacturers and of lift designs also grew, so that in 1988 ALI had 17 members. However, by then, there were about 30 marketers, some with unique lift designs for specialized uses that they felt did not "fit" into what they perceived as ALI's "automotive lifts for the repair shop" image, so that member sales represented about 80% of all domestic sales. ALI in the '90s - Safety, Safety, Safety Lacking the vehicle lifting point information the industry needed, in late 1990 ALI induced the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) into providing assistance in the development of a SAE Recommended Practice for permanent undercar identification of lift points and for car lifting point labeling, to be phased in as body styles change. This resulted in SAE J2184, promulgated in late 1992. This SAE Recommended Practice was adopted by ANSI as an American National Standard, and as it is implemented in new model years, it is expected to help prevent accidents involving swing-arm type lifts. Surface-mounted lifts of this type are the most popular in sales today and, may soon become the most widely used lifts as older styles are taken out of service. In 1997 ALI began the annual publication of the "Vehicle Lifting Points/Quick Reference Guide" for frame engaging lifts covering domestic and imported cars and light trucks. ALI's "Uniform Safety Warning Label" sets/placards took several years to bring to fruition. Having contracted with the National Safety Council and the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute to perform the development and validation work, a special assessment of the members was again needed to fund the contracted work and the initial production costs in 1991. These sets/placards come in kits representing 6 different lift types. Their use, or equivalent labeling, is required on certified lifts. In 2006, as a response to increasing interest from the industry, the Institute made these kits available in French Canadian and Neutral Spanish. Safety Video/DVD Development and initial production of a 17 minute VHS video to serve as a companion to the "Lifting it Right" Safety Manual took over 2 years and was finally issued in mid-1993. With more than ten thousand copies distributed to members, vo-tech schools, and the public, this popular training tool was updated in 2006. Endorsed by the National Safety Council and hosted by racing legends Richard and Kyle Petty, this new DVD contains valuable training and safety information designed in a manner that will engage today’s technicians, shop owners and vocational students. ALI’s new kit contains a copy of the DVD along with a reproducible written test, instructor’s answer key and user guide. A copy of the Institute’s Safety Manual and Safety Tips Card are also provided. Reviews to-date rate this product as “Rich in content and engaging”. Dave Augenstien, President of Automotive Environmental & Safety Engineering states “Simply one of the best safety videos I have ever experienced. This should be required viewing for all automotive technicians.” Maintenance and Installation Standards In 1994, an ALI Committee developed an industry standard covering "Safety Requirements for the Operation, Inspection, and Maintenance of Automotive Lifts”, first adopted as an ANSI safety standard in August 1996, ANSI/ALI ALOIM was revised and approved again as an American National Standard in 2000. Another important safety standard for the automotive lift industry, ANSI/ALI ALIS entitled "Safety Requirements for the Installation and Service of Automotive Lifts ", was approved as an American National Standard in October 2001. Understanding Lift Compliance to Applicable Safety Standards Before ANSI/ALI ALCTV-1998 became fully effective, all lift manufacturers were permitted to self-declare compliance as with all previous versions of the ANSI B153 series standards. Private testing had shown that lifts were being marketed in increasing numbers that failed to meet the requirements of the standard. Furthermore, printed safety materials and appropriate warning labels/placards, required to be included with new lifts, were not being furnished. Prior to 1985, the industry participants were few, and the industry, through ALI, could "police" itself using the 1974 or 1981 ANSI B153 standards. By 1995, about 50 companies were marketing lifts and ANSI/ALI B153.1-1990 had lost its enforcement teeth. With the adoption of ANSI/ALI ALCTV-1998, the lift manufacturer’s claim of meeting the American National Standard for lift construction was required to be supported by documented testing conducted by an OSHA Accredited, Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and a third-party certification mark placed conspicuously on the lift. ANSI/ALI ALCTV-2006 continues to require compliance in this area. Third-Party Testing - The ALI/ETL Lift Certification Program ALI entered into an agreement, in February 1993, accepting Intertek Testing Laboratories (Intertek) in Cortland, NY as ALI's third-party Certification Program Administrator and primary authorized testing laboratory. Intertek is a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) accredited by OSHA. MET Laboratories was introduced in March 2000 as a second authorized NRTL accredited by OSHA. The ALI Automotive Lift Certification Program is guided by a detailed Procedural Guide that describes the program and covers general program administrative matters as well as other important program requirements designed to assist participants, in the ALI Automotive Lift Certification Program, by assuring their listed products fully comply with the requirements of the current editions of applicable American National Standards. The program is described in National Institute of Standards and Technology publication SP903. For a lift manufacturer to initiate evaluation of a lift, a multi-party Program Participation Agreement, that sets out the responsibilities of each party, must be signed between the Participant [and their Authorized Production Facility (APF), if manufactured at a location other than the Participant’s primary facility], Intertek, and ALI. Testing and qualification for listing of any type of automotive lift is available. The ALI Lift Certification Program received initial ANSI accreditation in November 2001. This ANSI program was established to provide Government and Industry with a high level of confidence in the integrity of industry third-party product certification programs. After a program has been accredited, continued conformance with program qualification requirements is verified through annual on-site assessments. This approach provides the lift purchaser or bid specifier with a high level of confidence, which allows for informed decisions to be made regarding the status of product compliance with the current National safety and performance standards. This significantly reduces risk and provides a guarantee that the listed product has been assessed by a competent, independent body, therefore inspiring confidence in the product and trust in the lift manufacturer. Third-Party Testing as a Requirement for ALI Membership In 1993 the members of the Automotive Lift Institute supported the decision that third-party testing and product listing in the "ALI Automotive Lift Certification Program" be made a requirement for ALI Membership (both current and new applicants). Membership By-Laws currently require ALI members to certify at least 75 percent of all lifts sold in North America. Although it is encouraged, Institute membership is not required to participate in the ALI Automotive Lift Certification Program. International Issues Prepared by:
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