FEATURE HIGH TIME FOR AN UPDATE
Under the Working at Height regulations, it is the duty of those in control to do all that is possible to ensure the safety of those working at height. Fall protection solutions play a key role and we talk to Ben Haughton, Technical Director at Arco Professional Safety Services, about the latest standards and what building owners and managers need to be aware of.
protection system? Q: systems are designed to facilitate A:
the safe and efficient working environment for roof maintenance and other tasks that are performed at high level or where there is exposure to a fall. A fall protection system incorporates several key elements, principally the anchorage whose design and application is influenced by a number of variables which depend on the risk and the situation and, as always, should only be necessary once all other methods of safe working from ground level have been considered.
Q: A:
What processes are necessary when designing and installing a fall protection
anchor system?
The designer must have a very good understanding of the requirements for working
at height and the tasks that are required to be carried out when using the anchor system, they must also have a good knowledge of building fabric and engineering principles. Buildings range from the modern to the ancient and, where knowledge is limited, it is important that the designer has a network of supporting specialists from whom to seek advice.
Once a system has been designed and installed, it needs to be commissioned and certified. The installation and commissioning process for fall protection systems has largely been based on self- certification. The same goes for ongoing inspection and maintenance. In the past, a lot has been left to the interpretation of standards and as such there is always a risk of the system failing to protect workers properly and for badly maintained and faulty equipment to be in use. Without an appropriate design and inspection regime, the shortcomings of a system may only be realised when it is called upon to do its job, in the case of a fall arrest system, the outcome could be serious injury or death.
Q: A:
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Is there a standard that needs to be met to ensure ongoing safety?
BS 7883 has been in existence since 1997 and was revised in 2005, amended in 2007 and recently
revised again in 2019. The BSI (British Standards Institute) PH5 committee, made up of expert representatives from across the industry, was set up to look at the existing standard and address some
High-level access solutions and anchor
What are the key elements of a fall
industry concerns. This most recent update takes into account the advances in fall protection systems and technology and provides a more prescriptive approach than the original versions, putting a greater emphasis on what must be done, as opposed to what should be done. The revised standard incorporates all commonly used types of anchor devices and provides prescriptive guidance on design, installation and inspection.
Q: A:
Could you tell us more about the revised standard and what it means?
For the designer, specifier or installer of fall protection systems, there has always been
a requirement to provide evidence of the design process. In the revised standard there is additional guidance on best practice to ensure all elements of a safe system have been considered and are documented. The designer must provide a system technical file that contains a minimum amount of information, and this file should be made available for reference at every inspection. This is particularly important as inspections are often carried out by third parties, who may have no prior knowledge of the original system design. The file could include photographs taken at the time of installation and other details that may not be immediately obvious on initial inspection, this is of particular importance where hidden elements comprise parts of the anchor system.
“ONCE A SYSTEM HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND INSTALLED, IT NEEDS TO BE COMMISSIONED AND CERTIFIED.”
Q: A:
Once a system is in place, what are the main requirements for maintaining safety?
Following initial installation, the anchor system must be inspected and tested at least annually
(six-monthly where Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998(LOLER) applies) by a competent and qualified person to ensure it is in a safe working condition and carries the supporting formal certification. It is the duty holder’s responsibility to manage the anchor system and to ensure that it remains certified. If the certification does expire, or the system is failed at inspection, it is the duty holder’s responsibility to ensure that no one is allowed to use
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