The draft standard to replace Australian / New Zealand Standard Industrial fall-arrest system and devices AS/NZS 1891.4:2000 has been released for public comment. This draft has been prepared following the recent publication of AS/NZS 1891.1, Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices, Part 1: Harnesses and ancillary equipment, with a primary aim of bringing it up-to-date with that Standard.

 The principal changes from the previous edition are:

(a) Division of the work method ‘restraint’ into total restraint and restraint technique, the latter requiring the user always to wear full-body harness, the former requiring at least a lower body harness and both methods requiring use of fall-arrest rated equipment at all times.

(b) Minimum allowable anchorage strength to be 12 kN or 15 kN depending on fall distance.

(c) New terminology for harnesses (full or lower body) and positioning of fall-arrest attachment points.

(d) Inclusion of twin-tail lanyards.

(e) In-service values for the extension of personal energy absorbers in fall situations.

(f) Lower body harness use restricted to limited free fall and restrained fall.

(g) Updated requirements for operator training and assessment.

Copies can be obtained from Standards Australia. Comments close 21 May 2008.