How Many Anchor Points?

Here at D-marc we’re in the business of making work at height safer.  We manufacture a range of products designed to help prevent falls from height, which are still the major cause of fatalities in the workplace here in the UK.  We supply free standing access solutions that make walking and working on rooftops safer, collective protection systems that ensure the route to work areas is safe and providing an extra level of safety, as well as preventing workers from accessing roof areas that are considered unsafe.  We also supply fall protection posts that are fabricated in accordance with strict CE guidelines, and to structural engineer design standards, that provide anchor points for three different types of fall protection systems:

• Cable based fall protection systems which conform to EN 795 Class C
• Rail based fall protection systems which conform to EN 795 Class D
• Abseil access point which conform to BS 7985:2002.

One question that is commonly asked by clients is “How many anchor points are necessary?”, so today we’re going to give our readers some answers on this.

There is no specific answer to this as it the number of anchor points required depends on the following questions:

• What sort of work is being carried out?
• How many people are doing the work?
• How long will the work take to complete?
• Where is the working and walking surface?
• Is there a roof plan and elevation drawing available?

However, from a fall protection perspective, some other questions should first be answered:

• Can the fall hazard be removed?  If a hazard exists in the workplace, the first step is to try to eliminate the hazard and this is always the best way of ensuring safety.  This is not always possible.
• Is it possible to put a barrier between the worker and the fall hazard?  Physically separating the worker and the hazard is the preferred option and this can sometimes be done by using a guardrail or barrier system.
• What can be done to make sure the worker does not suffer a serious injury or fatality?  If the fall hazard cannot be eliminated in order for the work to be carried out and if using a physical barrier is not possible, then active fall protection needs to be considered.

Our Ascent fall protection posts are designed to be used as part of a collective fall protection system for working at height.  Our anchor posts are versatile enough to take both fall arrest and suspension loads and we have a wide range on offer which means that differing loads can be accommodated, whether at system ends, intermediates or corners.

Our anchor posts are available in moth Stainless Steel and Mild Steel to suit all applications and they can be attached to a wide range of structural backgrounds, including structural timber, reinforced concrete and structural steel. 

How many anchor posts should be used in any given situation differs greatly and one of our experts would be happy to advise prospective clients on a solution that is tailored to cater to their individual needs.