30% of workplace injuries are caused by Falls from Height. The resulting injuries are typically immediate and serious, causing serious disability or death.

Whilst it is always preferable to avoid working at height, in practice in order to carry out certain work tasks it is unavoidable.

In these circumstances the law requires protection against falling from height and requires owners and managers to provide safe systems of work.

European directive 89/656/CEE requires the employer or company responsible to put fall protection measures in place for persons working at height. In the first place, risk should be minimised through design or engineering controls. If risk still exists other measures must be implemented such as fall protection equipment and systems.

For some tasks the measures employed may be temporary, providing safe working conditions for the duration of the works and then removed upon completion.

This approach has limitations and removal of a temporary system can be time consuming and may in itself involve some risk.

In the case of tasks carried out periodically or locations where frequent access is required, a permanently installed (or “fixed”) safety system offers a better solution.

The advantages of a fixed system are that once it is installed it provides safe working conditions for all users, it is simple to use and maintain and can be unobtrusive, maintaining the architectural integrity of the structure.