EN 1263-1 sets the requirements for safety nets. A net is a collective protection measure — it protects everyone in the area at once and requires no individual equipment or action from the worker, which is why it ranks above personal systems in the hierarchy of control.
The four systems
| System | Description |
|---|---|
| S | Net with border rope, rigged horizontally |
| T | Net attached to consoles — the umbrella or fan type |
| U | Net attached vertically to a supporting structure |
| V | Net with border rope on a gallows-type support |
Key requirements
- Mesh size must not exceed 100 mm.
- The net must carry test meshes, checked periodically in a laboratory — UV weakens the material invisibly.
- The net must be labelled with its date of manufacture, system, mesh size and energy absorption class.
A net has a service life and should be checked annually by testing a test mesh. An out-of-date or untested net can look perfectly sound and still fail to hold a person.