EN 795 governs the technical requirements that apply to “Personal fall protection equipment – anchor devices”. This standard defines, for example, which loads technical fall arrest solutions must withstand and how these devices are to be tested and certified in order to obtain approval to place them on the market.
Anchorage device types
EN 795 differentiates between five different types of anchorage device:
- Type A: Single anchorage points which are firmly anchored to the subsurface
- Type B: Temporary anchorage points that can be removed again after usage without leaving any traces
- Type C: Lifeline systems
- Type D: Rail safety systems
- Type E: Anchorage devices that are held in place by their own weight.
However, Implementing Decision 2015/2181 of the EU Commission changed the scope of application for parts of the EN 795 standard. It stipulates that only types B and E are mobile anchors and, thus, fall within the scope of PPE Directive 89/686/EEC.
As types A, C and D cannot be moved from their current location, these do not belong to the category “personal protective equipment”. These are firmly attached to the building structure so that they are subject to the provisions applying to construction products. As EN 795 cannot be used to certify a construction product, an applicable standard is currently lacking.
It is, however, still possible to process construction products in Germany without a corresponding harmonised standard under the following conditions:
- If national technical approval (“abZ”) has been awarded by the DIBt (German Institute for Construction Technology)
- If approval has been granted by the responsible state building authority (approval in individual cases).