New guide for fall arrest and rope access released

A new guide for fall arrest and industrial rope access anchorages has now been released by Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.

Industrial rope access and fall arrest systems are used by window cleaners on both residential and commercial high-rise buildings.

According to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, most anchorages use insert type anchor bolts with variation in the quality of anchorages used. However, there has been significant confusion from building body corporates as to what meets a reasonable level of safety.

Falls are a major cause of death and serious injury in Australian workplaces and fall hazards are found in many workplaces where work is carried out at height. The new guide also shows how building design should consider how fall hazards can be eliminated.

Workplace Health and Safety Queensland said the guide includes reference to Australia and New Zealand standards and reviews various types of post-installed anchors (ie, masonry anchors) including torque-controlled, chemical, screw bolt, undercut and deformation-controlled anchors. It has information on the safe use of post-installed anchors for fall arrest and industrial rope access attachment points used for building maintenance, including both single anchor points and multifixing anchor points.

The guide can be viewed here.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/note_yn