Anchorages

The anchor point: the foundation of any fall protection system

The anchor point is the first link in the safety chain for any work at height. Without a reliable, correctly sized anchor, no personal protective equipment — harness, lanyard or fall arrester — can provide effective protection. Whether for work on a roof, a construction site or a maintenance operation on an elevated structure, the anchor point is the essential link between the worker and the load-bearing structure. At Kratos Safety, our range of anchor points and anchor devices is designed to meet all the configurations encountered in the field.

Choosing the right anchor point according to the substrate and the use

A safety anchor cannot be improvised: its selection depends directly on the substrate on which it is installed, the number of simultaneous users and the type of work carried out.

• Roof anchor: Roof anchor points are suited to sloping surfaces, tiles, steel decking or membrane roofs. They can be temporary for one-off work, or permanent for recurring access.
• Anchor on a metal or concrete structure: Screw-in or bolt-on devices ensure a strong fixing on the rigid substrates found in industrial environments or on construction sites.
• Anchor on a flat roof: Self-weighted anchors, or deadweight anchors, allow installation without perforating the waterproofing membrane, and are particularly suited to accessible flat roofs.

The choice of anchor point also takes the number of users into account: an individual anchor (1 person) does not require the same performance as a collective multi-point system intended for several workers at the same time.

Standards and regulatory requirements for anchor devices

Any anchor point used in Europe must meet strict standards requirements. The reference standard is EN 795:2012, which defines the types of anchor device according to their method of fixing and use:

• Type A: fixed anchors requiring structural fixing to the host structure,
• Type B: portable temporary anchors,
• Type C: flexible horizontal anchor lines,
• Type D: rigid horizontal anchor rails,
• Type E: deadweight anchors intended for horizontal surfaces.

Each Kratos Safety device is CE certified in accordance with PPE Regulation 2016/425 and tested to withstand a minimum arrest force of 12 kN (for 1 user), in accordance with the standards requirements. The complete technical documentation (installation instructions, type examination certificate or test certificate, documentation relating to installation and inspection) is available on our website to make your compliance and traceability procedures easier.

Installation and inspection: the rules to follow

A poorly installed anchor point represents a danger as serious as the absence of protection. Several fundamental principles apply:

• Have the installation carried out by a competent person, trained in installation techniques and in reading the manufacturer's instructions. For permanent anchors, an installation report must be drawn up.
• Check (or have checked) the strength of the substrate before any fixing: an anchor is only as good as the structure to which it is attached. An anchor bolt in a friable substrate or an undersized fixing can give way under the load of an arrested fall.
• Carry out an annual periodic examination by a competent person, in accordance with the EN 365:2004 standard, in order to detect any corrosion, deformation or loosening of the fixings that could jeopardise user safety.
• Respect the clearance below the anchor point: the effectiveness of the system depends on sufficient clearance for the lanyard or fall arrester to have room to deploy, so as to prevent the operator from making any contact with an obstacle in the event of a fall.

To build a complete protection system, combine your anchor point with our fall arrest harnesses, our energy-absorbing lanyards and our retractable type fall arresters, available in our dedicated ranges.