For the installation of Construction Safety Net, the following factors need to be considered.

Fall Height / Minimum Fall Arrest Width

Safety nets must be mounted as close as possible below the workplaces which are to be secured. The fall height (the difference between the building edge and the height of the landing on the net) must not exceed 6 m. For up to 2 m from the edge of the net, the permissible fall height must not exceed 3 m.

Suspension

The Safety Net is mounted using suspension ropes, safety snap hooks, net thimble loops or thimble hooks. The breaking force of the suspension rope must be at least 30 kN in the case of single-strand suspension with suspension ropes, and must accordingly be at least 15 kN in the case of double-strand suspension. You can find further safety guidelines in safety rules.

Replacement State of Wear

It is not permitted to continue to use Safety Nets in the following cases:

1)Nets that have already caught a person.

2)Nets that no longer reach the minimum breaking force (see “Annual test”).

3)Nets that are defective (nets with heavy wear and tear, defective meshes, damage to the border rope or to the thimble loops).

Clearance Underneath the Safety Net

Safety nets must be mounted in such a way that when arresting a fall, the person cannot hit any hard objects. The degree of deformation depends on the shortest side of the net and the fall height (see table and illustration). In addition to the deformation, a safety clearance must be observed for traffic routes, etc. With appropriate documented evidence of conformity from the manufacturer and a fall height of up to 2 m, nets can also be deployed with a clearance of 3 to 5 m below the building edge.

Required Bracing Forces

Building-site nets have to be anchored at stable, load-bearing points. A characteristic load of at least 6 kN with an angle of 45°must be adopted for measuring each suspension point. For measuring building components, three characteristic loads of 4 kN, 6 kN, and 4 kN at unfavorable points must be considered. The suspension points must not be positioned more than 2.50 m apart.

Annual Inspection

On every Safety Net, test seals bearing the same identification numbers are attached to the Safety Net label and the test mesh, to make it clear that the Safety Net and the test mesh belong together. Not later than one year following the date of manufacture, the first test mesh must be sent to an authorized manufacturer. That tester ascertains whether the net used still has the necessary stability/energy absorption and keeps a written record of the results. If the test result is positive, you receive a new inspection tag bearing the identity number, which you then reattach to the network concerned.

Installing And Dismantling Fall Safety Nets

Only persons who have been instructed by the building contractor can be authorized to install the nets. The persons carrying out the installation work must be given fall protection (safety harness and hoisting platform).

Connecting Safety Nets Together

If building-site nets are connected to one another, coupling ropes must be used in such a way that at the attachment point there are no gaps of more than 100 mm and that the Safety Nets cannot shift in their alignment to one another more than 100 mm. Fall Safety Nets can also be connected by overlapping them: this overlap must measure at least 2 meters.

Storage of Safety Nets

1)Dry storage;

2)Never store near a heat source;

3)Do not bring into contact with aggressive substances such as acids, lye or the like;

4)Do not directly expose to UV radiation.