What are the standards for fall-protection equipment?
Every piece of fall-protection equipment must be compliant with standards to guarantee user safety against serious injury caused by a fall from height:
EN 361: for fall-arrest harnesses;
EN 355: for energy absorbers;
EN 358 : for work-positioning systems;
EN 354: for positioning lanyards;
EN 795: for anchor devices used in fall-arrest systems;
EN 360: for automatic fall arrestors, also known as fall-arrest blocks;
EN 1263-1: for safety netting, a collective protection device.
These standards ensure the quality of the equipment and its ability to protect against falls from height. Your fall-arrest device, made up of an automatic fall-arrestor harness kit, can be supplemented by collective protection such as safety netting.
What are the types of fall-protection equipment?
Fall-protection equipment is divided into several categories to cover every fall factor:
Positioning lanyards;
Fall-arrest safety harnesses;
Carabiners and fall-arrest anchor points;
Lifelines;
Fall-arrestor systems;
Collective protection: safety netting, walkways, guardrails.
Every piece of equipment must be selected according to the needs of the workstation and environmental factors, combining collective protection and personal protection to guarantee safety against every fall factor.
What is the lifespan of a fall-arrest safety harness?
The lifespan of a fall-arrest safety harness is 5 to 10 years, depending on its use and maintenance. Regularly check the condition of the harness to avoid any hazard linked to excessive wear.
How do I choose a suitable anchor point?
The choice of a fixed or temporary anchor point depends on the nature of the work and the support. Anchor points must meet the EN 795 standard and be able to withstand at least 12 kN.
Is fall-protection equipment mandatory for all work at height?
Yes, as soon as the fall hazard exceeds two metres, the use of fall-protection equipment, such as lifelines or harnesses, is mandatory under the Labour Code.