Safety Nets Australia | Fall Prevention

Fulfilling Requirements

Meeting legislative requirements - three levels of controls

OHS Regulation 2001 Clause 56 (1) - Prevention of falls from heights requires you to meet three levels of controls to comply:

? Level 1 controls - Scaffold, screens and fencing
? Level 2 controls - Other forms of Physical Barriers
? Level 3 controls - Physical restraints & fall arrests plus the provision of PPE equipment.

1st level of control

? "Elevated Work Platform"
This includes scaffolding, screens & fencing

2nd level Control

? "Other forms of physical barriers that are capable of preventing the fall of a person."
Safety nets are another form of physical barrier that are capable of preventing a person falling 2 metres. And they are available for use in Australia.

Safety Nets Australia value adding - meeting your Level 2 controls

Apart from providing you with the best fall arrest system available, Safety Nets Australia will:

? Provide a working at heights management plan;
? Supply an emergency rescue plan in the event someone falls into the net;
? Give site safety toolbox posters to workers who are required to work over the nets.

3rd level Control

? "Other forms of physical restraints that are capable of arresting the fall of a person before they fall 2 metres."
Fall restraint systems should be the last option. These include safety harnesses, lanyards and other fall restraint equipment.

Special Note - Levels 2 & 3 Controls must include:

? When fall restraint or fall arrest systems are used, you must have an emergency rescue response plan and equipment if a person falls in a harness or into a safety net, so they can be rescued.
? Workers must also be trained in the use of the equipment and working at height procedures as part of their safe work activity training.
? Areas subject to working at heights must be controlled by the building supervisor, a working at heights permit system is therefore required for the site.
? A person must be nominated as the site working at height supervisor.

We have learnt from the industry that the best place to start is with a benchmark "control heirarchy".

Applying the hierarchy of best-practice safety controls

How do safety nets meet these best-practice safety controls?

Safety nets provide protection from fall hazards;
Safety nets separate people from the hazard;
Safety nets are an engineered control;
Safety nets change work practices;
Safety nets reduce the total reliance on fall restraint PPE.
See our Fulfilling Requirements page for details on how you can meet the legislative requirements with our system.

Fall hazards inside a building

There are also fall hazards on the inside of the building during construction work. Measures must be taken for:

Potential falls between roof trusses;
Construction of high strutting formwork;
Large voids and penetrations;
Between roof purlins, steel construction and bondeck formwork.
Through brittle roofs, skylights and any roof floor openings.
Safety nets can fill these gaps.