An anchorage is the point everything else in a fall protection system depends on. The harness, the lanyard and the block can all be perfect, and none of it matters if the anchor is not capable of taking the forces a fall generates.
Those forces are considerable — far higher than the user's weight, because arresting a fall is a dynamic event. That is why anchorage devices are certified to their own standard, BS EN 795, and why the structure the anchor is fixed to has to be assessed separately by a competent person. The anchor is only as strong as what it is attached to.
Manufacturer specification. 2 person application. Range: 600mm to 1250mm. Resistance: 13 kN. Minimum Breaking Strength: 20 kN. Conformity: BS EN 795 Type B, TS 16415 Type B. Material:
Key Features
- Conforms to BS EN 795: The applicable standard for this product type
- 2 person application: As specified by the manufacturer
- Range: 600mm to 1250mm
- Resistance: 13 kN. Minimum Breaking Strength: 20 kN. Conformity: BS EN 795 Type B, TS 16415 Type B. Material:
Technical Specifications
| Property |
Value |
| Product Code |
FA-60-015-00 |
| Std |
BS EN 795 |
BS EN 795 | LOLER Ready
2 person application. Range: 600mm to 1250mm. Resistance: 13 kN. Minimum Breaking Strength: 20 kN. Conformity: BS EN 795 Type B, TS 16415 Type B. Material: Under LOLER 1998, lifting accessories and Category III PPE require thorough examination by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months, and immediate withdrawal after arresting a fall or any overload.
Suitable Applications
Creating an anchor point for fall arrest, work restraint or work positioning: structural steel, roof and deck work, plant and process equipment, confined space entry, and temporary works. The choice between a temporary and a permanent anchorage depends on whether the same access task recurs — a permanent point installed once and certified is more reliable than one rigged fresh each time by whoever is on site.
More About This Product
The anchorage is the part of a fall protection system people think about last and should think about first. Most sites can produce a harness and a lanyard within minutes; producing a certified, assessed anchor point is a different matter, and it is what genuinely determines whether the system works.
The forces involved are the reason. Arresting a fall is a dynamic event, and the load a falling person imposes on an anchor is many times their body weight — which is why BS EN 795 exists as a standard in its own right, and why the structure the anchor attaches to has to be assessed separately by someone competent to do it. The anchor may be certified; the beam, the tube, the roof purlin almost certainly is not.
Anchor Position, Fall Factor and Swing
Where the anchor sits changes the severity of a fall more than any other single decision.
Fall factor is the ratio of fall distance to the length of lanyard available to absorb it. An anchor above the head gives the lowest factor and the gentlest arrest. An anchor at foot level gives a factor 2 fall — the worst case, generating forces a shock absorber may struggle to control, and it is what happens when someone clips onto something convenient at their feet rather than something suitable above them.
Pendulum swing is the second consideration and the one that catches people out. An anchor directly overhead means a fall goes straight down. An anchor off to one side means the faller swings, and the swing can be more dangerous than the drop — into structure, into plant, or across a surface at speed. A swing that ends against a steel column is not survivable simply because the harness held.
The practical rule is to position the anchor as high as practicable and as close to directly overhead as the work allows, and to reassess it every time the work position moves.
How to Use
- Assess the structure first: The anchor is only as strong as what it is fixed to. That assessment is a competent person's job, not a fitter's judgement.
- Position the anchor as high as practicable: It reduces both fall distance and the swing that follows an off-centre fall.
- Check the number of users: Most anchorage devices are rated for one person unless marked otherwise.
- Calculate the fall clearance: Anchor height, lanyard length, absorber deployment, user height and a safety margin.
- Inspect before every use: Textile anchorage slings for cuts and abrasion, metal anchors for distortion and cracking.
- Withdraw after arresting a fall: An anchorage that has taken a fall arrest load is withdrawn regardless of appearance.
Warning: An anchorage device is only as strong as the structure it is fixed to. The structure must be assessed by a competent person as capable of withstanding fall arrest forces, which are far higher than the user's weight. Withdraw any anchorage that has arrested a fall.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- The structure must be assessed as capable of withstanding fall arrest forces.
- One user per anchor unless marked otherwise.
- Position as high as practicable to reduce fall distance and swing.
- Calculate fall clearance before work begins.
- A rescue plan must be in place before work at height begins.
- Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Inspection and Maintenance
Inspect the anchorage and, where it is permanently installed, the structure around it. On textile anchorage slings check the full length on both faces for cuts, abrasion, fraying, heat glazing and chemical staining, and examine every stitched termination. On metal anchors look for distortion, cracking, corrosion and wear at the attachment eye, and for any movement relative to the structure. Confirm markings remain legible — an anchorage that cannot be identified must be withdrawn.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How strong does the structure need to be?
Considerably stronger than the user's weight, because arresting a fall is a dynamic event. The assessment is a competent person's job. A correctly specified anchor fixed to unsuitable substrate offers no protection at all.
Q: Can two people use one anchor?
Only if it is marked for more than one user. Most anchorage devices are single user, and doubling up on a single-user anchor is a straightforward overload.
Q: Do I need a rescue plan?
Yes, before work begins. Suspension trauma can become life threatening within minutes of a successful fall arrest, so a plan that depends on calling the emergency services is not a plan.
