The Types Of Anchor Points & How You Can Use Them Properly In Australia.

If you are unfamiliar with what an anchor point is, its purpose is to protect people who are either working on your home property or on your business property. These types of additions can be found mostly on properties where people congregate to work and they help protect contractors from falling and experiencing any other dangers. Here in Australia, it is essential that if you have people working on top of your building and they’re suspended from your ceiling, there must be a roof anchor point.

There are a number of different types of roof anchor points and you need to choose one that is specifically for the uses that you think will come up in the near future when it comes to the maintenance of your building. The anchor point itself has to be tested to ensure that it is compliant and that it follows the relevant regulations. There are two types of anchors to choose from and one is to prevent falls and the other is specifically designed to allow workers to actually abseil down your building to do their work.

There are a number of things that you need to consider so that they are used properly here in Australia.

• Think of the weight capacity – The anchor itself needs to be able to support not only the weight of the person doing the work but their essential tools and other equipment as well. This is a very important point to consider because you have to allow for different kinds of people who will be of course heavier and lighter than others.
• Consider the roof surface – Your roof may be made of many different materials incorporating concrete, steel and maybe even corrugated iron. This means that you need to consider carefully the kind of anchor point that will be mounted on the surface so that it is secure and it is fit for purpose. You must never fit the wrong kind of anchor in a futile attempt to save yourself money because it may cost someone their life.
• Always carry out a risk assessment – Your company should have control measures in place already and you also need to make sure that you follow the relevant government rules and regulations. The anchor system itself must be fit for purpose and it must be able to be used for the particular task that you are asking of workers. Different people come with different levels of experience and so you need to take that into consideration as well.
• It needs to be compliant – If you don’t fit the right kind of roof anchor for your particular building then you could be subject to particularly high fines that you want to try to avoid in the first place. Always make sure that the roof anchor point is in full compliance with the standards and regulations as set out by the Australian government. The point itself needs to be properly certified by a professional who is trained in such things.

It is easy to see how important the right kind of anchor point is for any building here in Australia and this is certainly not the time to be cutting corners. You need to be a responsible employer and building owner, so make sure that you follow the relevant rules and regulations to ensure that anyone who is working on your building is properly secured at all times. You would never forgive yourself if someone fell off your building as a result of your negligence and you would be punished for it as well.

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