Fixing an anchor into concrete usually means a chemical resin and waiting for it to cure, which is fine for a permanent installation and useless when you need an anchor this morning. The In-Lock works differently: drill the hole, insert the anchor, press the button and a wedging mechanism locks it into the structure. It is ready immediately, and it comes out again when the job is finished. A Type B transportable anchor rather than a Type A permanent one, which is the whole point.
Key Features
- Pressure button installation: Press to wedge the anchor into the hole. No resin, no curing time, no waiting.
- Removable and reusable: Comes out at the end of the job and goes into the next one, which is what separates it from a chemical-fixed anchor point.
- Type B classification: A transportable temporary anchor device rather than a permanent installation, so it does not require the engineering sign-off a fixed anchor does.
- Resistance 12 kN, MBS 15 kN: Single person application.
- 18 mm to 19 mm diameter, 110 mm long: Sized for a standard drilled hole in sound concrete.
- Fast to deploy: Practical where anchors are needed at several positions in sequence.
Technical Specifications
| Property |
Value |
| Product Code |
FA 60 018 00 |
| Size |
18 mm – 19 mm x 110 mm |
| Installation |
Pressure button wedge |
| Users |
1 |
| Resistance |
12 kN |
| Minimum Breaking Strength |
15 kN |
| Conformity |
BS EN 795 Type B |
| PPE Category |
Category III |
Note the minimum breaking strength of 15 kN is lower than most anchors in the range, which typically offer 23 kN. Still above the EN 795 requirement, but worth knowing when comparing.
BS EN 795 Type B | 12 kN Resistance | Category III PPE
Conforms to BS EN 795 Type B for transportable temporary anchor devices. 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. The anchor is only as strong as the concrete it is installed in.
Suitable Applications
The In-Lock suits work on concrete structures where anchors are needed quickly and at several positions: façade and cladding work, concrete frame construction, bridge and civils inspection, car park and multi-storey maintenance, and refurbishment where no permanent anchors exist. It is particularly useful on jobs that move along a structure, where a chemical anchor at every position would be both slow and permanent. Where a genuinely permanent anchor is wanted, the FA 60 011 00 stainless anchor point is chemically fixed and designed to stay.
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 the In-Lock Concrete Anchor
- Assess the concrete: The anchor is only as good as what it wedges into. Sound, cured structural concrete of adequate thickness and free of cracking. Not blockwork, not screed, not spalled or carbonated concrete.
- Drill to the specified diameter and depth: Follow the user manual precisely. An oversized hole will not wedge; an undersized one will not admit the anchor.
- Clear the hole: Drilling dust prevents the wedge gripping. Blow or brush it out.
- Insert and press the button: Insert fully, then press to lock. Confirm by attempting to withdraw it.
- Test before trusting: Follow the manufacturer's guidance on proof loading before use, particularly on concrete of unknown quality.
- Remove and inspect after use: Withdraw the anchor at the end of the task and inspect the mechanism before reuse.
Warning: The anchor's rating assumes sound structural concrete. In weak, cracked, carbonated or thin concrete it may pull out at far below its rated load. Assess the substrate before use. Not for use in blockwork, screed or masonry.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- Install only in sound, cured structural concrete of adequate thickness.
- Not for blockwork, screed, masonry or damaged concrete.
- Drill to the specified diameter and depth, and clear all dust from the hole.
- Confirm the anchor is locked before applying load.
- One person only.
- Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall.
- Inspect the wedging mechanism before every installation.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Inspection and Maintenance
The wedging mechanism is what makes this anchor work and it is what needs checking. Before every installation confirm the button operates cleanly and the wedge extends and retracts fully, since concrete dust works into the mechanism and eventually prevents full extension, which means less grip than the rating assumes. Clean it after each use rather than storing it dusty. Inspect the body for distortion and the anchorage eye for wear and elongation. Because the anchor is repeatedly installed and removed, it accumulates wear faster than a fixed anchor and deserves closer attention.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How is this different from a chemical anchor?
A chemical anchor is resin-bonded, permanent and needs curing time. This wedges mechanically, works immediately and comes out again. For a job moving along a structure it saves a great deal of time; for a permanent anchor point on a building, a chemical fixing is the right answer.
Q: Can I use it in blockwork or brick?
No. It is rated for structural concrete. Blockwork, brick, screed and lightweight aggregate will not develop the grip the rating assumes, and the anchor can pull out at a fraction of its rated load.
Q: Why is the breaking strength 15 kN when other anchors are 23 kN?
It is a mechanical wedge rather than a bonded or bolted fixing, and 15 kN is what the design achieves. It remains above the EN 795 requirement and is certified accordingly, but it is worth knowing when comparing against other anchors in the range.
Q: How many times can it be reused?
There is no fixed limit, but the mechanism wears and concrete dust degrades it. Inspect before every installation, keep it clean, and withdraw it when the wedge no longer extends fully or the button feels vague.
