Anchorage pointsAnchorage points

Anchorage points

Each anchorage point should comply with the requirements in AS/NZS 1891:4 Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices – selection, use and maintenance.

All anchorages should be tested and approved by a competent person before use—a visual inspection may not reveal the structural integrity of the anchor point (i.e. the bolt may have failed below the concrete surface).

Each anchorage point should be located so that a lanyard of the system can be attached to
it before the person using the system moves into a position where the person could fall.

Inspect the system components

Each component of the system and its attachment to an anchorage must be inspected by
a competent person:

• after it is installed but before it is used
• at regular intervals
• immediately after it has been used to arrest a fall.

Inspection of all components should be conducted in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications and the relevant standards. If any signs of wear or weakness are found during the inspection, the components or means of attachment should be withdrawn from use until they are replaced with properly functioning components.

Limit free fall distance

Fall-arrest systems, incorporating a lanyard, should be installed so that the maximum distance
a person would free fall before the fall-arrest system takes effect is two metres. There should
be sufficient distance between the work surface and any surface below to enable the system, including the action of any shock absorber to fully deploy (see Figure 21). To work out whether there is enough distance available, you should take into account:

• the worker’s height
• the height and position of the anchorage point
• the length of the lanyard
• any slack in the horizontal life line
• any stretching of the lanyard or horizontal life line when extended by a fall
• the length of the energy absorber when extended by a fall.

Figure 21: Total fall distance before this particular configuration would be effective in arresting
a fall is 6.5m.

Figure 21 shows that the total fall distance before this particular configuration would be effective in arresting a fall, is 6.5m.

Lanyards should not be used in conjunction with inertia reels as this can result in an excessive amount of free fall prior to the fall being arrested.