What is this standard about?
It gives guidance and recommendations on the planning, design, installation, safe use, examination, maintenance and testing of permanently installed suspended access equipment (SAE).
NOTE 1: SAE is generally a platform suspended by steel wire ropes from a securely mounted overhead structure (suspension rig). It is normally capable of being raised and lowered and moved laterally across the façade of a building. SAE includes equipment installed on a building to assist with continuing routine maintenance of the building.
NOTE 2: This British Standard does not cover industrial rope access and work positioning techniques, recommendations for which are given in BS 7985.
Who is this standard for?
It will be used in a wide range of sectors including:
- Building construction and maintenance, including building refurbishment
- Transport
- Shipbuilding and marine engineering
- Food and manufacturing industries
- Telecommunications
- Entertainment
- Equipment hire
- Work at height training organizations
- Test bodies
Within these sectors responsibility for design and safe use and operation lies with the manufacturers and designers of SAE who will use the standard for design and quality management.
Building owners, facility managers, safety officers and specifiers will use the standard to ensure the provision of safe equipment in construction, refurbishment and facilities management.
Other users will include:
- Architects
- Structural and construction engineers
- Specialist access consultants
- Principal designers
- Window cleaners
- Façade designers
- Insurance companies
- Notified bodies
Why should you use this standard?
Falls from height are among the most common cause of death at work in the UK. This standard focuses on the need to follow current best practice. It supplies guidance and recommendations on the planning, design and installation of permanently installed SAE, as well as on its safe use, maintenance and testing.
What’s changed since the last update?
This is a full revision of the standard, which reflects significant technical developments to machine design, safety and working practices since the last version was published in 2003.
The principal changes are to the following:
- Recommendations for manual rigging (maximum weights and heights)
- Ongoing testing of auxiliary hoists
- Recommendations for refresher training/instruction
- Reference to early/beneficial use
- Updates to bring it into line with BS EN 1808:2015 Safety requirements for suspended access equipment – Design calculations, stability criteria, construction – Examinations and tests and CDM:2015 (Construction (Design and Management) Regulations)