When selecting Height Safety Solutions do not forget Someone's Life is in Your Hands. On a number of occasions we have come across systems that are clearly not up to the job, however the client believes that as they have been provided with certification from the installer their liabilities are covered. Is this really the case? What does the law say regarding this issue? In simple terms any individual who procures a Height Safety Solution has a legal responsibility to ensure that the company he engages is fully competent to carry out the works and that the equipment they select is the most suitable for height safety purposes. The Facts. Often the focus appears on prevention of users falling to the ground, but little attention is paid to the effects of the fall on the user: • A reputable system limits the loads on the user to 6kN, the industry standard from prevention of serious internal injury • A substandard system in terms of both product and design, incorrect PPE selection and or lack of user training will result in greater loads being applied to the user causing serious injury or death In most cases the following check list will help you to ensure you have engaged a competent installer: • Are they able to provide CE Declaration of Conformity for the products they intend to install? Please note not all CE marked systems are of the same standard. • Can they provide calculations to provide the loads transmitted back to the structure? • Can they provide calculations, test data and quality assurance systems to ensure that the shock absorption mechanism will deploy at the correct loading thus preventing injury to the user. • Can the installer provide full design layout drawings • Does the installer have Professional Indemnity insurance? • Are the installers' designs and layout his own? If they have been provided by a third party is there a formal contract covering the design or has the designers permission been obtained? If there is not the design layout will not be insured. • Can the installer provide structural calculations for any non proprietary elements within the proposed work (NB Structural anchors are not proprietary these require full structural design in accordance with the manufacturers recommendations. • Fall restraint systems must be certified to fall arrest standards
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