Lyhyesti
Anchor points, eyebolts and lifelines used with harnesses come under the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Each anchor must be suitable and strong enough for any foreseeable load, inspected in place before first use, at suitable intervals where it can deteriorate, and after exceptional circumstances, by a competent person, and the result kept until the next inspection. BS 7883:2019 is the code of practice for designing, installing and inspecting these systems.
This page explains how anchors, eyebolts and anchor points are commonly tested, inspected and recorded. It does not replace the law, the standards it names, the manufacturer's instructions, or the decisions of the person responsible for the job or the system, who sets the tests, the loads and the inspection regime. A test records what happened on the day; it does not approve an anchor for use.
Key figures
| The law | Work at Height Regulations 2005: regulation 12 and Schedule 5 |
|---|---|
| When to inspect | After installation, before use; at suitable intervals; after exceptional circumstances liable to jeopardise safety |
| Inspection includes | Any testing appropriate for safety, by a competent person (regulation 12(10)) |
| Records | Kept until the next inspection is recorded (regulation 12(6)) |
| Code of practice | BS 7883:2019, current and under review at BSI |
| LOLER | Not for fixed anchor points that are part of a building, HSE says |
What does the law ask of an anchor point?
Schedule 5 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 says a personal fall protection system meant to be used with an anchor is securely attached to at least one, and that each anchor and its attachment are suitable and strong enough for any foreseeable load.
Regulation 12 then asks for an inspection in place after installation and before use, inspections at suitable intervals where the equipment can deteriorate, and another each time exceptional circumstances liable to jeopardise its safety have occurred. "Inspection" means a visual or more rigorous check by a competent person, and includes any testing appropriate for safety. Equipment leaving one business for another goes with evidence of its last inspection.
These duties fall on employers and on anyone who controls work at height, which HSE says includes facilities managers and building owners who bring in contractors.
Does LOLER apply to anchor points?
Not to fixed ones. HSE's guidance says the Regulations "do not extend to fixed anchor points that form part of a building or structure", and its LOLER code lists "eyebolts fastened to a structure to secure such fall arrest equipment" among the things LOLER doesn't cover. Their inspection is under regulation 12 of the Work at Height Regulations. Equipment that lifts people, such as a cleaning cradle, is under LOLER: see davit sockets for cradles and BMUs.
Which standards apply?
| Standard | Status at BSI | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| BS 7883:2019 | Current, under review | Designing, installing, using, maintaining and inspecting anchor systems. BSI's summary says it gives example inspection criteria and result categories (pass, conditional pass, conditional fail, fail), example proof test load calculations and test methods, and the documents a system should have |
| BS EN 795:2012 | Current, under review | Performance and test methods for single-user anchor devices that can be removed from the structure. Not for devices used by more than one person at a time, or for structural anchors |
| BS EN 17235:2024 | Current | Permanent anchor devices and safety hooks fixed on or into buildings and civil engineering works |
| BS 8610:2017 | Current | Type testing anchor systems in the base materials the maker specifies. BSI notes it isn't a structural check of the building |
| BS 8681:2024 | Current | The competence of those who design, install, inspect and maintain anchor systems |
| BS 8437:2022 | Current | Selecting, using and maintaining personal fall protection systems. The 2005+A1 edition was withdrawn in 2022 |
What documents should a system have?
BSI's summary of BS 7883:2019 names four: a system design specification, a system technical file, an examination scheme for inspection, and an operation and maintenance manual. It also covers checks on systems installed before, where parts are hidden. Keep each inspection result until the next one is recorded (Work at Height Regulations, regulation 12(6)).
Who may inspect and test?
A competent person: HSE describes one as having "appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the equipment", and being independent and impartial enough to judge it objectively. BS 8681:2024 sets out what providers who install and inspect anchor systems should be able to show.
Testing on a roof
Testing an anchor in a stone pier on a roof. The t25 kit includes a tool lanyard for the tester (up to 8 kg) and a wrist lanyard for the spanner: clip both on before working at height.
Worked example: one roof, three kinds of test
A roof has a run of eyebolts by its windows, a horizontal lifeline with swaged cable ends, and two posts the lifeline runs between. On one visit:
- Eyebolts: a t25 with the clevis, which is in every kit, loads each eyebolt to the load the system's designer or maker gives.
- Swages: the LT clamps to 8 mm cable and tests each swaged end through the same t25 load cell, at the force the lifeline's maker gives.
- Between the posts: the in-line kit measures force up to 25 kN between two anchorage points, again with the t25 load cell.
Each result goes into the Staht Connect app with a photo and a map pin, ready for the system's file.
Pages for height safety
- Roof anchors and eyebolts: commissioning and periodic tests
- Horizontal lifelines: anchors, swages and force between posts
- Eyebolt and fall arrest anchor testing, lifeline and swage testing and in-line force testing: the kit
- Proof load test record: free template
- Rope access anchor points and window cleaning eyebolts
More questions
The law says at suitable intervals, and after exceptional circumstances liable to jeopardise their safety; it gives no fixed period. The interval comes from the system's examination scheme and the maker's instructions. For rope access anchors, IRATA's code recommends a detailed inspection at least every six months.
Not on its own. BSI describes BS EN 795:2012 as covering single-user anchor devices that can be removed from the structure. BS EN 17235:2024 covers permanent anchor devices fixed on or into buildings.
No. It shows the anchor held the load on the day. Whether the system is fit for use is decided at inspection, against its design and the maker's instructions.
Lähteet
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005, Schedule 5: Requirements for personal fall protection systems, legislation.gov.uk
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005, regulation 12: Inspection of work equipment, legislation.gov.uk
- Work at height: the law, HSE
- Equipment and machinery frequently asked questions, HSE
- L113 Safe use of lifting equipment: Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. Approved Code of Practice and guidance (second edition), HSE
- BS 7883:2019 Personal fall protection equipment. Anchor systems. System design, installation and inspection. Code of practice, BSI
- BS EN 795:2012 Personal fall protection equipment. Anchor devices, BSI
- BS EN 17235:2024 Permanent anchor devices and safety hooks, BSI
- BS 8610:2017 Personal fall protection equipment. Anchor systems. Specification, BSI
- BS 8681:2024 Personal fall protection equipment. Anchor systems. Specification for provider competence, BSI
- BS 8437:2022 Code of practice for selection, use and maintenance of personal fall protection systems and equipment for use in the workplace, BSI
- Staht 25kN Digital Tensile Tester Kit, c/w Accessories & Heavy-Duty Mini Case, Technical Datasheet No 133, Staht
- Staht In-line Test Kit, Technical Datasheet No 138, and In-Line Tester brochure, Staht
- Staht LT (Swage Tester) Kits 1, 2 and 3, Technical Datasheet No 189, Staht
Test anchors, eyebolts and lifelines
The t25, LT and in-line kit share one load cell and one app.