Permanent belay systems

Permanent lifeline: protection installed for good

A permanent fall protection system stays fixed to the building or structure. It secures repeated access without setting up equipment at each intervention: roof maintenance, climbing a fixed ladder, work on pylons, wind turbines or loading bays. KRATOS SAFETY offers two families: the horizontal permanent lifeline, on cable or rail, and the vertical fall arrest rail or cable for ladders.

Choosing a permanent system for your access

• Roofs and terraces: a horizontal stainless steel cable lifeline for up to 4 users, mounted on energy-absorbing posts suited to trapezoidal steel sheet or standing seam roofs.
• Hangars, loading bays, vehicle maintenance: a rail lifeline fixed to the wall, floor or ceiling, for up to 6 users, with a rolling trolley and corner rails.
• Existing fixed ladder: a guided type fall arrester on stainless steel cable or aluminium rail, fixed to the ladder, which follows the user without handling.
• Structure without a ladder: a rail with integrated ladder rungs, providing access and protection in a single piece of equipment.
• Explosive atmospheres: several systems can be used in ATEX zone 1, see the FREE BLAST range.

On vertical rails, a curved top extension keeps the user connected up to the landing platform. The maximum weight allowed depends on the system (100 or 140 kg) and is shown on each product page.

Standards and regulations for permanent systems

The standards differ depending on the direction of movement:

• EN 353-1 for guided type fall arresters on a rigid anchor line (rail or tensioned cable),
• EN 353-2 for systems on a flexible cable,
• EN 795 type C and CEN/TS 16415 for multi-user horizontal lifelines.

Vertical fall arrest systems are PPE subject to Regulation (EU) 2016/425. Permanently fixed horizontal lifelines are not PPE: they are part of the building, and their compliance relies on the standard and on installation according to the manufacturer's guide. Each system comes with its installation guide, available in the Documents tab.

Completing your equipment: from installation to complete system

The user connects to the system with:

• a fall arrest harness with a sternal attachment point for vertical access,
• the system's own fall arrester or shuttle, with its connector,
• for horizontal lifelines, a self-retracting lifeline or energy-absorbing lanyard suitable for horizontal use.

Systems are installed by staff trained and qualified by KRATOS SAFETY: contact us to study your installation.

Maintenance and inspection of a permanent system

• Before each use: visual check of the cable or rail, the fixings and the fall arrester.
• Periodic inspection at least once a year by a competent person, according to the user instructions and national regulations.
• After an arrested fall: take the system out of use until it has been inspected and the loaded components replaced.

For occasional work without a fixed installation, see our temporary lifelines.