In this episode Greg Peterson, 3M’s Technical Engineer for 3M Fall Protection in Australia and New Zealand joins us to discuss Fall Protection Anchor Points.

Anchorages, or as they are often referred to in the industry, anchor points, provide a secure point of attachment (to an existing structure) for the fall arrest system. Anchorages can be permanent or temporary and vary by industry, job, type of installation and structure they will attach to, and are an important component of a fall protection system that requires careful consideration.

Guest Bio:

Greg Peterson (pictured left) started his career in Sydney as a Project Engineer where he worked for a structural steel fabrication and installation company for 13 years. From there he moved onto join Capital Safety in 1999 where he was Project Manager and then Systems Engineering Manager responsible for the design, engineering and installation of horizontal lifelines systems, vertical lifeline systems, anchor points and industry specific height safety applications throughout Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Greg has been working as a Technical Engineer for 3M Fall Protection since 3M acquired Capital Safety in 2015. Greg is a member of the Working at Heights Association (WAHA) and comments on changes to Australian and New Zealand Standards.

LinkedIn Profile

 

In this episode, Mark & Greg discuss the following:

• When is a worker considered to be working at height?
• What is the best way for a PCBU/employer to protect workers if they are required to work at heights?
• What are the ABCD’s of height safety?
• What is an anchorage?
• Are there different types of anchorages that people use and what materials are they made of?
• How strong does an anchorage need to be?
• How are these anchorages tested to confirm they meet the required strengths?
• Do anchors need to be tested after they have been installed?
• Who can install anchorages? Is there a qualification you need to do this?
• In a working at heights situation where should an anchor ideally be located to the worker? Above? Below? Behind?
• What would a worker normally be attaching to these anchor points?
• What would a workplace do if they were in an area with no installed anchor points, but there was a structure they could wrap a sling around? Is this OK to do? How would they know if it is strong enough to use?
• Can a crane hook be used as an anchor point?
• Where can workplaces go to get more information around working at heights and Fall Protection?

Whenever there is a risk of fall from one level to another that is likely to cause harm you are deemed to be working at height. Where the use of a fall protection system is required, the anchor point you connect to must be very strong. As a visual reference, the anchorage you use must be capable of holding the weight of a family sized car. This is equal to at least 15 kN, as required by AS/NZS 1891.4 and AS/NZS 5532 for a fall arrest single person anchorage, or 21 kN for a 2-person fall arrest anchorage. However, when it comes to anchorages there is more to consider than just the strength of the structure. Tune in as we take a closer look at fall protection anchor points, the different types, their applications and use.

Additional Resources:

• Podcast Transcript
• SafeWork Australia – Working at Heights
• WorkSafe NZ – Working at Heights
• SafeWork NSW – Working at Heights
• WorkSafe QLD – Working at Heights
• WorkSafe Victoria – Fall Prevention
• SafeWork SA – Fall Prevention
• WorkSafe WA – Working at Heights FAQ
• WorkSafe NT – Managing the risk of falls at workplaces Code of Practice
• WorkSafe Tasmania – Heights
• ACT Government – Stop Construction Falls
• Working at Heights Association
• SAI Global – AS/NZS 1891.4:2009
• 3M Fall Protection Solutions

Contact a 3M Safety Specialist at scienceofsafetyanz@mmm.com for more information.