Collective protection
Legislative Decree No. 81 of 9 April 2008, also known in Italy as the ‘Consolidation Act on Health & Safety at the Workplace’, places great importance on the risk of falling from a height, setting down the obligation to assess the risks to which the worker is exposed when working at a height and the pertaining implementation of adequate protection systems.
The decree gives priority to collective protection measures over personal protective equipment.
Collective fall prevention protection measures include:
1 SAFETY NETS
Fall safety nets are collective protective equipment (CPE) made to protect people and/or objects from falling from a height, consisting of netting and support frames. In detail, they consist of a mesh of nylon or plastic threads material supported by a rope anchored using specific elements in order to stop the person from falling. The technical standards of reference are UNI EN 1263-1 and UNI EN 1263-2..
Fall safety nets are classified as per UNI EN 1263-1 based on two parameters:
1.class;
2. system.
The class defines the size of the mesh and the net’s strength. The nets are divided into 4 classes [A1, A2, B1, B2) distinguished by maximum mesh size [IM) and by minimum fracture energy [E) acting on them.
Class A1 IM=60 mm E=2.3 kJ Class A2 IM=100 mm E=2.3 kJ
Class B1 IM=60 mm E=4.4 kJ Class B2 IM=100 mm E=4.4 kJ
The system-based classification indicates the type of net support and their use. Fall safety nets are divided into four systems, two for horizontal use (System S and System T) and two for vertical use (System U and System V).HBSecurity proposes a S System consisting of a safety net with border rope that frames and reinforces the perimeter area and to which the lifting and anchoring cables are connected. It is installed in the horizontal position to protect from falls a wide area of the work site that is usually inside the structure to be protected. System S nets must have a 35 m2 minimum surface area and a short side not less than 5 m long.
2 CAGED FIXED LADDERS
Safety ladders with cage and 1.10 m step-off protection. The ladders proposed by HBSecurity offer versatile combinations suited for many kinds of use, and are a convenient solution for access to machinery, access to roofs, ladders for inspection, maintenance and cleaning, ladders for climbing up chimneys, facades, silos, platforms, bridge cranes, etc..Rung ladders taller than 5 m, fastened to walls or to vertical scaffolding or with an inclination greater than 75°, must be fitted with a solid metal protection cage with mesh or openings of width such as to prevent the accidental fall to the outside of the person climbing them. Sizes required differ according to the technical provisions of reference.
HBSecurity offers caged ladders in line with the provisions of Leg. Decree 81/08 and on request makes ladders to European standards.
3 RAILINGS
Permanent collective protection equipment preventing accidental falls or accidental access to unauthorised and/or hazardous areas. The railing consists of a handrail, intermediate rail, upright and toe board (if necessary). The law provisions require:
- 110 cm high railings (Leg. Decree 81/08);
- 50 cm spacing between horizontal elements and 150 cm between uprights;
- toe board at least 15 cm high on railing when no natural spandrel of this size is present;
- handrail’s horizontal breaking load: 1 kN/m (§3.1.4. Min. Decree 14.1. January 2008 and Min. Decree 20 February 2018–NTC) when railing is mounted on roofs that may be accessed only for maintenance.
The technical provisions of reference are Italian Leg. Decree 81/08 (art. 126 and annexes IV and XVIII), Min. Decree 20 January 2018-NTC and European standard UNI EN 11.1.122-3.
HBSecurity offers a series of railings that are easy to assemble, aesthetically pleasing and statically resistant, fully compliant with Leg. Decree 81/08, NTC 2018 and UNI EN 14122-3. The models offered are:
- Free-standing railings with adjustable rails
- Free-standing railings with lead-through rails
- Permanent railings to be fastened inside/outside the roof edge, on edge top, on posts, on metal sheeting
- Collapsible railings
