Fall protection during erection and dismantling

Fall protection is chosen in a fixed order: collective protection (guardrails, covers, scaffolding) always comes before personal fall protection (harness and lanyard). Personal equipment is the last resort when collective protection is not technically possible in a given phase — not a free choice.

Collective before personal — harness and lanyard are the fallback, not the first choice.

Fall protection is required as a rule for falls of more than 2 m. At lower fall heights the risk is assessed case by case (e.g. hard ground, sharp objects, falling through), but above 2 m protection is the main rule — also during erection itself.

BEK nr. 2107/2021 requires collective fall protection during ALL erection, alteration and dismantling — not only when the scaffold is finished. In practice this means, among other things, building with the system's pre-installed guardrail (e.g. the 'advance guard rail' principle) so the top guardrail is in place before you step onto the next deck.

In the phases where no approved collective equipment is available, personal fall protection is used — a full-body harness with lanyard and shock absorber attached to a load-bearing anchor point. It does not replace collective protection, but is accepted as a supplement where collective equipment cannot yet be installed.

Full body harness, lanyard with shock absorber and an approved attachment must be compatible and inspected. The anchor point must be able to withstand a fall, and the fall distance (lanyard length + shock absorber deployment) must be shorter than the clearance below the fitter, so you do not hit a lower level or the ground.

Work out the fall distance BEFORE you clip on — a lanyard that is too long will not stop the fall in time.

There is a known contradiction: the law requires collective fall protection during erection, but there are no approved collective solutions for all erection phases. The industry therefore uses personal fall protection as compensation, and the enforcement situation has not been finally resolved. Follow BFA Bygge & Anlæg's recommendations and keep up to date with clarifications from Arbejdstilsynet.

During erection and dismantling, tools and parts can fall. Cordon off the zone below the work so no unauthorised people pass through. Fall protection protects the fitter — the cordon protects those below.

Fall protection saves the fitter; barriers save those below the scaffold.