Fall protection systems are always designed to suit the specific needs of the environment where they are being installed. But some design principles are often reused.
Fall protection systems can come in all manner of shapes and sizes. They can be made up of different components and work to mitigate different types of fall risk.
How a fall protection system will look will depend entirely on the shape and pitch of the area where access is needed, the risk profile associated with that area, and what workers are going to be doing. There are almost an endless number of variables that need to be taken into consideration when designing a fall protection system.
That does not mean, however, that there are not common ideas or design principles that can be applied in many types of fall protection system.
Access from the low side
A fixed bracket for portable ladders is one of the most typical forms of roof access. These are used in areas where access to a roof or raised area is needed, but that access is somewhat infrequent.
When a ladder bracket like this is included as part of a fall protection system for a pitched roof, it will typically be placed at the lowest point of that roof.
The main reason for this is that it immediately minimises the potential height of a fall from the ladder. Secondly, if the worker is connected to a fixed anchor point with a first-man up cable (strop), then the cable is more likely to be within reach of the worker as it will fall towards the low edge.
Accessing edges and gutters
The most common need for accessing an edge where a fall could occur is for gutter cleaning on roofs.
On a roof that has no obstructions (for example, solar panels or other plant) typically a series of fixed roof anchor points are used. These allow workers to use an adjustable rope line to safely access a circle around each anchor point. Connecting to a series of anchor points in sequence can assist a worker in moving safely across the roof to the specific area where they need to work.
When there are obstructions (such as solar panels) or the roof area is narrow (awnings, for example) anchor points may not be a practical fall protection solution.
To be safe, anchor point systems require the distance to the next anchor in the sequence be less than the distance to the nearest fall edge. This allows the worker to move through the fall protection system in a manner that does not allow them to fall over an edge.
On narrow work areas, or roofs where there are obstructions, the number of anchors required to be installed to keep workers from being placed at risk may be impractical.
In these situations, a static line or rigid rail system may be installed.
These types of system allow a worker to attached with a lanyard and move along the length of the system without any further adjustment required.
Fall protection and pitched roofs
There are many roofs that are pitched, to at least some degree. The pitch of a roof plays a significant role in the design of fall protection systems.
Once the pitch of a roof moves beyond around 15 degrees from horizontal, an extra element of risk is introduced for workers. That is, should they fall or lose their footing, they can potentially slide down towards the fall edge. As the pitch of the roof increases, so too does the risk of this occurring. To mitigate this risk, workers must remain connected to a fall protection system and use fall restraint technique at all times.
Once a pitch gets so steep that a worker is unable to maintain footing without the assistance of a fall protection system, the system must be designed in a way that allows workers to incorporate a backup connection. The need for this was included in the updates to AS/NZS 1891.4:2025, when it was released in September 2025.
For roof anchor systems, this will generally mean that more anchors will need to be installed. A backup connection cannot be connected to the same point as a worker’s primary connection point.
Partners in protecting people
While having an idea of the more common types of fall protection systems is a good starting point, the simple fact is a fall protection needs to meet the specific needs of a roof or work area.
Height Safety Engineers have been in the business of protecting people working at heights for more than two decades now. Our team are the experts in designing, installing and certifying compliant, best practice and comprehensive fall protection systems. Whether you need access daily or once every other year, HSE can help.
Start your safety journey with us by calling 1300 884 978, emailing enquiries@heightsafety.net or by clicking here to fill out our contact form.
