When it comes to ensuring the absolute safety of all workers during the construction activities, and also afterwards, the planning and implementation of professional, certified fall protection systems are amongst the major tasks of architects who lead projects. Even on the completed building, cleaning and maintenance tasks have to be performed at regular intervals on facade components as well as on PV systems on the roof. These tasks are amongst those with an increased safety risk.
Failure to comply with the legal requirements and standards may threaten the risk of severe penalties, because serious accidents resulting in death may occur. As a rule, the architect bears the liability for this. To minimise potential safety risks, various legal requirements, regulations and standards relating to architects exist, and these must be complied with. This article examines the major aspects in this regard and indicates how architects can play safe in this very important matter.
About architect liability: Requirements, regulations and standards
When considering and implementing his construction plan, the architect leading the project is therefore well advised to put into practice all legal aspects in detail – and these also include incorporating a professional, certified fall protection system, and avoiding defective planning. But the selection of the correct safety solution is also essential.
An overview of the most important standards and laws relating to fall protection systems:
- European standard DIN EN 795: This lays down all requirements for performance characteristics and associated test methods for anchorage devices, and this is at the European level. Here, fall protection systems are categorised into 5 types:
- Type A includes all single anchor points attached permanently and stably to the substructure.
- Type B covers all temporary and/or mobile anchor points which can also be completely removed.
- Lifeline systems fall under Type C and
- Rail systems are included in Type D.
- Type E refers to those anchorage devices held in place by their own weight.
- National standards: In Austria ÖNORM B 3417 applies in addition. This specifies how planning and implementation are to be performed, as well as the requirements for use, servicing and inspection of permanent and temporary fall protection systems for servicing and maintenance measures. AUVA (Allgemeine Unfallversicherungsanstalt - Austrian accident insurance institution) also provides a number of guidelines in this regard, such as “Evaluation of persons falling over and falling from heigth” or the guideline „Persons falling over and falling from height”.
In Germany DGUV (Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung - German Social Accident Insurance) is available to answer questions relating to fall protection systems and related legal regulations. In Switzerland SUVA (Schweizerische Unfallversicherungsanstalt - Swiss Accident Insurance Agency) is responsible for this.
- Certification: Compliance with standards must also be demonstrated through corresponding certification of the fall protection system. This applies both to the materials used and to the installation processes.
The architect leading the project is also responsible for the selection of the correct safety system
When planning fall protection systems for the respective construction project, the selection of the correct and best possible safety system naturally also plays a central role. In advance, all parameters must be examined very closely – these include, for example, the respective area of application, the substructure and its load capacity, and sometimes also the geographic location (weather and climate).
Only then can it be decided which fall protection system is best suited to provide employees with effective protection from falls from height and serious accidents. As a rule, the architect also bears the responsibility for this, especially when he himself also performs the function of construction site coordinator. This is generally the case for relatively small construction projects.
The safety systems at a glance:
- Collective solution – guardrail such as BARRIER from INNOTECH. This system protects the fall edges of flat roofs or escape and maintenance routes, in order that cleaning, servicing, and repair tasks can be performed safely. When a guardrail is present, anti-fall PPE (personal protective equipment against falls from a height) is unnecessary, because it collectively protects all people located in the danger area.
- Lifeline systems: The AIO lifeline system from INNOTECH, for example, is ideally suitable for horizontal and vertical danger areas, as well as for overhead activities and a large number of substructures. Lifeline systems are primarily used for tasks along a facade or in industry. Their use is possible only in combination with anti-fall PPE.
- Rail systems: This safety solution is particularly suitable for PV installations on a roof, because it can also be attached directly to the substructure of the solar power plant and does not take up space or require roof penetrations. An example of this is the TAURUS system from INNOTECH. This solution too must be used in combination with anti-fall PPE.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): As already mentioned, for rail and lifeline systems optimally fitting anti-fall PPE must always be selected, and this must also be certified and compliant with all standards. For this, INNOTECH has brought an absolutely new product onto the market: The PSA-STRING-WORKAIR is a type of airbag for industrial climbers and related professions.
This anti-fall PPE reacts to height, pressure and speed, and it immediately activates a mini-compressor even at slight deviations. This fills the vest with air and thus mitigates the impact. This technology is already familiar from motor and ski sports, where similar airbags are used.
Attention: In the long term, cheap fall protection systems which do not 100% comply with standards and safety requirements may turn out to be many times more expensive.
Important: Unbroken documentation
In addition to the careful planning of the respective fall protection system, comprehensive, full documentation of all installation steps and possibly training measures is necessary. For this, every single bolt, post and anchor point, and all modules, must be thoroughly described and photographed, in order that all fine details can be verified at any time. This is where a professional documentation tool saves architects a great deal of time.
One such planning tool isINNOdocfrom INNOTECH: This service presents all parameters required for the standards-compliant, professional and detailed documentation of fall protection systems for construction projects. All project sections/services provided, from tender preparation to planning and implementation of the project, to documentation and inspection, are covered here. The tool can also be used to record and provide evidence for all subsequent maintenance tasks. Tip: You may wish to consider individual consultancy in this regard.
About architect liability - minimising risks through:
The good news for architects is: They can reduce their liability risks down to zero by incorporating the most important points for their construction project. Here are these points at a glance:
- Careful planning – also for the load capacity of the structures and foundations for the fall protection system
- Selection of the correct safety solutions
- Continuous monitoring of the correct installation of the fall protection system
- Thorough documentation; legally compliant
- Consider consultancy, and right from the planning phase collaborate with fall protection professionals to obtain customised advice on eliminating identifiable errors
And the best is: In this way, specifically when planning their buildings, architects ensure optimum safety for all workers on the construction site and later on during servicing, cleaning, and maintenance measures.
Summary
Correct planning, as a preparatory activity, and the implementation of fall protection systems are complex tasks requiring careful compliance with the legal standards and comprehensive documentation. Architects bear significant responsibility, and must plan and monitor all steps very closely, in order to minimise liability risks and to ensure safety on the construction site.
Through the inclusion of professionals and the use of modern planning tools, architects can master these challenges, eliminate defective planning, provide proper performance, and reduce their liability.