Standards & regulations
Together with the Technical rules for workplaces ASR A2.1 and the German Act on the Implementation of Measures of Occupational Safety and Health, the Technical Rules for Safety in the Workplace: TRBS 2121 - "Danger to individuals through falling", are the foundation on which the regulations and rules applicable in Germany on fall arrest for individuals are based. TRBS 2121 deals with the provisions of the German Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (“Betriebssicherheitsverordnung” = BetrSichV) in more in-depth detail, in particular with a view to establishing and assessing the risk of falling.
TRBS 2121 deals with assessing the risk of falling. For details of which basic information a risk assessment needs to include, reference is made to TRBS 1111. TRBS 2121 also includes a description of how to identify and assess risks attributable to a falling edge .
Fall protection measures are ranked. Collective fall protection systems, such as guard rails, are to be given priority. These are designed to prevent falls from occurring from the outset. In second place, collective fall arrest devices are listed, for example, safety nets. These catch fall victims before they collide with something or hit the ground - which could be lethal.
If it is impossible to implement such measures - either due to structural reasons or the type of work involved - personal fall protection equipment must be used. Particular attention must be paid to the workplace conditions, having a suitable rescue concept in place and proper usage.
For special areas of application, TRBS 2121 was extended to include the following four parts:
If one of these four technologies is deployed to gain access, the corresponding section must also be observed.
