Dear Industry Colleagues,

We would like to remind all our Professional Customers that Standards Australia has just released the following drafts of Standards Amendments for Public Comment. Public Comment closes on the 11th of October 2018, so please take the time to read and comment on these vital industry standards.

• AS/NZS 1891.3 - Fall Arrest Devices
• AS/NZS 1891.5 - Lanyard Assemblies and Pole Straps
• AS/NZS 1891.1 - Manufacturing Requirements for Full Body Combination and Lower Body Harnesses.

Eliminate the Risk

Avoid working at height where possible or locate plant and equipment in safe locations where there’s no risk of a fall. After all, if you’re not at height, gravity has much less pull.

Guard the Hazard

When working at height is essential, ensure that workers aren’t exposed to unnecessary risks by providing a parapet or guardrail to eliminate fall hazards.

Protect the Worker

If it’s not possible to eliminate the risk of falling, use the appropriate fall protection system to help minimize the consequences of a fall. This is achievable through either a fall arrest or fall restraint system.

Twin tail fall arrest lanyards (interim advice)

A worker recently received fatal injuries as a result of falling from a transmission tower near Toowoomba. The worker was using a twin tail fall arrest lanyard at the time of the incident when he fell. He suffered fatal injuries when his lanyard failed.