Mechanically this is the same hook as the FA 50 208 60: aluminium, 60 mm gate, 22 kN, double action locking, dual certified with UIAA approval. The difference is that every unit carries its own individual serial number, which matters more than it sounds. Under a managed PPE regime each item must be identifiable against its own inspection record, and a fleet of visually identical unnumbered hooks makes that impossible to do honestly. The £2.38 premium buys traceability.
Key Features
- Individual serial number: Each hook is uniquely identifiable, so it can be tracked against its own inspection history, issue record and service life. Essential for any documented PPE management system.
- 60 mm gate opening: Clips directly onto scaffold tube, structural members and larger anchor points.
- Double action locking: Locks automatically on closing, requiring a deliberate two-stage action to open. Nothing to forget when clipping repeatedly at height.
- Aluminium construction: Substantially lighter than steel, which is felt over a full shift on a twin-tail lanyard.
- Dual certified plus UIAA: BS EN 362 Class T for fall protection and BS EN 12275 Class K/T for mountaineering, with additional UIAA certification.
- 22 kN breaking strength: Above the EN 362 requirement.
Technical Specifications
| Property |
Value |
| Product Code |
FA 50 218 60 |
| Material |
Aluminium |
| Breaking Strength |
22 kN |
| Gate Opening |
60 mm |
| Operating Type |
Double action locking |
| Identification |
Individual serial number |
| Conformity |
BS EN 362 Class T, BS EN 12275 Class K/T |
| Additional Certification |
UIAA |
| PPE Category |
Category III |
The FA 50 208 60 is the same hook without individual numbering.
BS EN 362 Class T | BS EN 12275 Class K/T | UIAA | Individually Numbered
Conforms to BS EN 362 Class T for termination connectors and BS EN 12275 Class K/T for mountaineering connectors, with additional UIAA certification. Each unit carries an individual serial number for traceability. Category III personal protective equipment under Regulation (EU) 2016/425, supplied with a Declaration of Conformity. Requires inspection by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months and immediate withdrawal after arresting a fall.
Suitable Applications
Choose the serialised version wherever PPE is issued, tracked and inspected as a managed fleet: principal contractors, facilities and maintenance organisations, rope access companies, and anyone whose safety management system requires each item to be identifiable. It is the same hook in use, on scaffolding, structural steelwork and general construction. Where hooks are bought as consumables for a single project and not tracked individually, the unnumbered FA 50 208 60 does the same job for less.
More About This Product
Connectors are bought on price more often than any other component in a fall protection system, and they are the component where that is least sensible. A karabiner is the single point through which the entire system passes, and the difference between a good one and a poor one is measured in how the gate behaves after two years on site rather than in how it performs new.
The practical differences show up in use. A gate that is stiff with a glove on gets clipped carelessly. A connector too small for the anchor gets forced. One too large rolls out. None of these is a rating problem, and none of them appears on a spec sheet.
Gate Types, Roll-Out and Choosing by Anchor
Gate mechanism determines how a connector is used in practice. A screwgate is secure and slow, needing a deliberate twist to lock — and it is the one most often left unlocked, because locking it is a separate action nobody sees you skip. A twist-lock or triple-action gate locks automatically, which removes that failure mode entirely at the cost of being fiddlier with heavy gloves.
Roll-out is the failure mode that surprises people. A correctly rated connector can twist and come out of an anchor point that is too wide, too flat or awkwardly shaped, under load, without anything breaking. It is a geometry problem, not a strength problem, and no amount of extra rating prevents it. Where the anchor is a wide flat plate or a large eye, a connector with a captive-eye or a purpose-shaped body is the answer.
Gate opening is the dimension to check before buying a fleet. A connector that will not fit the anchor points on your site is useless whatever its rating, and the discovery is normally made on the day by someone who then improvises.
How to Use the Scaffold Hook
- Record the serial number on issue: The traceability only works if the number is captured against the user and the inspection record.
- Check the anchor is suitable: Scaffold tube is convenient but the structure must withstand fall arrest forces.
- Clip on and confirm it has locked: Attempt to open the gate without operating the mechanism.
- Load along the spine: Never load the gate.
- Watch for roll-out: A large gate on a large member can rotate into a position where it levers open.
- Treat drops seriously: Aluminium can crack under impact without visible deformation.
Warning: Category III PPE for trained, competent persons only. Confirm the double action mechanism has locked after every connection. Aluminium may crack under impact without visible deformation, so any hook dropped from height must be withdrawn and examined.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- The anchor structure must be capable of withstanding fall arrest forces.
- Confirm the gate has locked after every connection.
- Load along the spine. Never load the gate.
- Withdraw and examine after any drop from height.
- Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
- Do not modify, drill, machine or paint. Never obscure or remove the serial number.
Inspection and Maintenance
The serial number is part of what you are inspecting: if it becomes illegible the hook loses its traceability and, under most management systems, must be withdrawn. Check it remains readable at every inspection. Beyond that, operate the double action mechanism repeatedly to confirm it locks under its own action and requires the full sequence to release, inspect the throat and gate nose for wear from contact with steel tube, and look for hairline cracking around the gate pivot and nose since aluminium cracks where steel bends. Keep the mechanism clean and lightly oiled.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What do I get for the extra over the unnumbered version?
Traceability, and nothing else. Mechanically the two hooks are identical. If your safety management system requires each item of PPE to be identifiable against its own inspection record, you need the numbered version. If hooks are bought and used as consumables, you do not.
Q: Why does individual numbering matter for PPE?
Because inspection records have to refer to something. With a fleet of identical unnumbered hooks you cannot demonstrate which one was inspected, which one was issued to whom, or which one has reached the end of its service life. With serial numbers you can.
Q: The number has worn off. Is it still usable?
Under most PPE management systems, no. An item that cannot be identified cannot be linked to its inspection history, so it must be withdrawn. Check legibility at every inspection rather than discovering the problem at audit.
