Fall protection systems

Working at height? On this page you can find out how to prevent and protect falls.

Height safety systems

Safety line systems are used to prevent falls from height. They are used when work has to be carried out without safety screens or handrails.

A full risk assessment of the work at hand must be completed to help decide if a permeant or temporary system can be used. All persons doing this type of work need to hold a HRWL and/or RIIWHS204E qualification.

Example roof anchor point

Typical dangerous falls

Typical falls that cause death and injury include falls that result from:

• using unsafe or incomplete scaffolds
• inappropriate ladders/ladder use
• falling from or through roofs
• falling from trucks
• falling into holes, pits or shafts
• accessing shelving
• accessing mezzanine areas.

Companies have a duty to make sure their workplace is safe. This means controlling the risk of falls from any height.

If possible, you must get rid of the risk. For example, by doing the work on the ground or on a solid construction.

If this is not possible, you must control the risk using the following measures in order of priority:

• use a passive fall prevention device
• use a work positioning system to make sure employees work in a safe area
• install a fall arrest system to limit the risk of injuries in the event of a fall
• use a fixed or portable ladder, or use an administrative control.

Risk controls

If you use a control measure other than working on the ground or on a solid construction, you must establish emergency procedures. These procedures should cover the rescue and first aid of an employee in the event of a fall.

Any equipment or materials used to control the risk of a fall must be designed and constructed for the task and the conditions it will be used in.

If you are using only an administrative control, you must record what it is and the task it is being used for.

You must review (and, where needed, revise) your risk controls if things change or at the request of a health and safety representative.

Employers also have a duty to consult employees and health and safety representatives when identifying hazards and deciding on control measures.

Types of fall protection systems

Fall protection systems come in different formats, including:

• proprietary horizontal lifelines and rail safety systems
• prescribed non-walkthrough safety line systems
• temporary safety line systems
• proprietary vertical lifeline and rail safety systems
• fall protection anchor points (including temporary)
• access ladders and stairs
• walkways and guardrail systems.

Physical Controls

Fall restraint

Fall restraint is the preferred approach to fall protection. It prevents you from falling and from suffering possible injury from the fall arrest system.

Work restraint is a technique which uses personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent a person from entering an area where there is a risk of fall from a height.

Fall restraint

Fall arrest

Fall arrest is an approach which uses items of PPE to stop a person falling under safe conditions. This is when a worker is in a position where if they lose control they will fall. They are required to use PPE to limit the distance and force of that fall.

Fall arrest

Fall clearances and hazards

Calculating potential fall clearances

An often overlooked hazard is fall clearances. You must make sure there is enough distance beneath the user so they don't hit a lower level or the ground before the fall arrest system is fully deployed.

This diagram shows the necessary fall clearance is 6.55m when using a 2m shock absorbing lanyard:

Example of fall clearance

Other equipment will have different clearance requirements. Refer to AS/NZ1891.4 for more information.

Pendulum effect

A pendulum effect can occur when a shock-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting lifeline is connected to an anchor point when working at height. The position and location of the anchor point is important to make sure a pendulum effect doesn't happen.

Pendulum effect

Proprietary horizontal lifelines and rails

Proprietary horizontal lifelines and rails

Anchor points

Legislation and when to inspect

The following equipment needs to be inspected regularly by a Height Safety Equipment Inspector:

• anchorages
• horizontal and vertical lifelines
• horizontal rail systems
• personal protective equipment (PPE).

Requirements for NSW, VIC, WA, SA and TAS are annually based on regular use, as per compliance code.

Requirements for QLD and ACT are 6-monthly based on regular use, as per compliance code.

The following personal equipment must be inspected by a Hight Safety Officer before and after each use:

• harnesses
• lanyard assemblies
• connectors
• fall arrest devices.