FALL ARREST SYSTEMS

FALL ARREST SYSTEMS EXPLAINED

What is a fall arrest System?

Safety is as easy as buckling our carabiners right? Not exactly. When it comes to safety at heights, there’s a whole spectrum of safety concepts to consider, including the demands of your project, tradespeople, and the surrounding environment. A good height safety plan starts with the right height safety expert and a well-installed Fall Arrest System for fall protection.

In Australia, the purpose of the fall arrest system is to arrest a person’s fall from heights – in accordance with the principles and requirements of the Australian Standard. That’s technical jargon for – ‘it better be 100% safety compliant – or you could have a fall on your hands!

The 3 key components of a fall arrest system are:

Anchor Point (aka: point of attachment for your tradespeople working at heights)
Harness
Connecting device

A good starting point is checking whether your anchor points will hold the weight of the work you’re intending to complete. The design of a fall arrest system must take into consideration not only the loads, location, reactions, and equipment involved with your job, but most importantly, its purpose.

Fitting your fall arrest system to the purpose of your job results in safe access on hazardous areas, which means no falls and no liability. Lifelines, track-systems, and inertia reels are examples of fall arrest systems.

Safety at heights is not something to be taken lightly, or skimped on for budget reasons. Manufacture and certification must be undertaken by qualified height safety specialists. Installation is best performed by rope access technicians who understand the smarts behind height safety engineering, while having the hands-on experience of abseiling. This is the only way to provide a job with the right safety measures.

Do your fall arrest systems meet the current Australian standards? Have your anchor points been checked and certified? Read more about the installation of fall arrest systems and anchor points for fall protection by our qualified team at Abseilers United.