BS EN 13374

People working on roofs must be protected from falling from any exposed edge. Similarly, those who install the selected protection must also be protected from falling. Edge protection can be achieved in many ways. Any system in conformity with the BS EN 1 3374 will provide adequate edge protection for workers on roofs.

BS EN 1 3374 specifies three classes of edge protection: Class A, Class B and Class C.

Class A

may be used if the angle is less than 10 degrees. Such edge protection systems are designed to withstand only static loads, based on a requirement to:

• Support a person leaning on the protection or provide a handhold when walking beside it, and
• Stop a person who is walking or falling towards the protection.

Class B

may be used if the angle is less than:

30 degrees without limitation of the falling height, or

60 degrees and the falling height is less than 2m

The edge protection systems, which are designed to withstand static loads and low dynamic forces, based on a requirement to:

• Support a person leaning on the protection or provide a handhold when walking beside it.
• Stop a person who is walking or falling towards the protection.

Class B systems are checked by a low dynamic impact test (refer to BS EN 1 3374 for test procedure).

Class C

may be used if the angle is between 30 and 45 degrees without limitation of the falling height, or;

45 and 60 degrees and the falling height is less then 5m.

The edge protection systems are designed to withstand high dynamic forces (refer to BS EN 1 3374 fortest procedure) based on the requirement to:

• Stop the fall of a person sliding down a steeply sloping surface.

Class C systems are checked by a high dynamic impact test only.

• BS EN 1 3374 Temporary edge protection systems, product specification, test methods
• BS EN 1 263-1 Safety nets. Safety requirements, test methods
• ACR (CP) 006: 2015 REV3 Practical methods of providing edge protection for working on roofs, Purple Book

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