FEATURE PREMISES & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
TAKING FALL PROTECTION to the highest level of safety
An effective three-pronged approach to fall protection comprises engineering innovation, compliance and regulations and test methods, explains Jonathan Seymour of Latchways
E
ven in 2016 falls from height remain one of the most common causes of
injury and fatality at work, accounting for nearly 30% of injuries to workers. It is a stark reality that in an age where working at height is commonplace, fall protection measures still need to be much more effective. We’ve all seen images from the 1920s and 30s showing workers sitting on beams high above the city. It’s hard to imagine life before the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970 when fall protection in the workplace was totally unregulated and employers had little responsibility to safeguard their workers. Of course, when we think of fall protection today the ultimate goal is to ensure people who work at height are kept safe; we all have responsibility from health and safety managers to construction workers, facilities managers to specifiers and even business owners. At Latchways we believe the fall
protection industry can only be successful if we all continue to take great strides forward. What are the fundamentals of best practice?
TRUE ENGINEERING APPROACH
To develop the best solutions a true understanding of the engineering behind them is crucial. Consideration of the application: what it’s for, how and where it will be used, is a must along with how the user will interact with the system. Aesthetics play a role; an anchor device may be small but it sits on top of a structure and is always visible. We focus on engineering innovation and invest in research and product development that brings the latest and most advanced engineering trends from around the world into the fall protection industry.
INDUSTRY STANDARDS AND GUIDANCE There are two important benchmarks. EN 795 standards govern the testing of anchor devices and should be considered as an absolute minimum. It came into play in 1996 and has recently been updated to EN 795:2012; with the support of technical standard CEN/TS 16415 it sets out more robust requirements and introduced testing for
22 JULY/AUGUST 2016 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
multiple users for example. EN 795:2012 is becoming more widely recognised and embraced across Europe and has recently been published in the Official Journal of the PPE Directive. In addition, The Magenta Book - ACR[M]:
Testing of Roof Anchors on Roof Systems in 2009 provided additional guidance to EN standards, recommending the testing of anchor devices on representative roofs. Developed as a result of limitations in EN 795:1996 it is purely about testing EN 795 rated products on a representative substrate. An imminent update to The Magenta
Book will recognise the 2012 changes to EN 795 (and CEN TS/16415) in line with improved test methods and a focus on multi-user solutions. All fall protection equipment should be tested to at least meet if not exceed the very latest testing requirements and guidance. There are several considerations to bear in mind when it comes to ensuring the highest standards of manufacture from the purpose and use of any given product to ensuring standardised test methods and demonstrating repeatability; it’s all about achieving the most efficient and safest outcomes.
REPRESENTATIVE TESTING So how does a fall protection system actually perform on the structure for
which it is intended? Once you have invested in the product it needs to be tested in real world situations to
guarantee performance; this comprises: Intended purpose: understanding the intended purpose and the structure a device will be tested on will determine
the test methods required. Representative roof test: extensive testing on complete and representative roofing systems (the actual structure on which it will be used) gives a full picture of how systems operate in real life. This should take into account the supporting structure: purlins, decks, spacer systems,
insulation, waterproof covering etc). Dynamic drop test: conducting a drop test gives insight into real life scenarios. We recommend using a 300kg mass through a distance of 1.5m; typically there is more than one user on any given roof so the drop test should ensure
systems can cope with this weight. Multi-directional testing: it’s impossible to predict the direction of a fall so testing needs to encompass all possibilities in line with, across and at 45
Once you have invested in the product it needs to be tested in real world situations to guarantee performance
degrees to the seam, profile or deck. Re-testing: once a system has passed its initial testing a repeat is important to ensure compatibility with the latest roofing manufacturer developments. We have been encouraging representative testing across the industry since 2001 when we launched our top fix cable system using Constant Force technology. Even then, we exceeded the standards introduced 11 years later as part of the EN 795:2012 update. Our ethos has always been to put testing at the core of everything we do and keep ahead of the game; it gives our customers great peace of mind. Latchways urges those responsible for
specifying fall protection solutions to be specific in their choices. As an industry we must put engineering at the heart of how we do business, embrace the very best of standards and employ more specific test methods. As an industry we can then ensure the best possible outcome.
Latchways T: 01380 732700
www.latchways.com
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