Debris Netting - Paramount Materials

Debris Netting

Since , the official Work and Height Regulations have clearly stated that anywhere there is public access to a potentially dangerous area that is required, debris netting must be used to catch falling debris or materials.  This includes dust which can cause discomfort or eye injuries.

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Debris netting is made from strong, heavy-duty plastic netting.  Assessments of risk levels must be addressed to determine the measure of safety needed and are installation is put in place properly.  There are many good reasons for using debris netting on your construction scaffold:

• Offers containment of debris for greater safety for the protection of workers, the public, and traffic.

• Very versatile as an enclosed system that is easy and economical to handle.

• Flexible for hanging vertically or horizontally for the best coverage.

• The edges are reinforced with eyelets for easy attachment to scaffolds using wires or plastic ties.

• Allows ventilation through air movement and reduce the velocity of the wind.

• Provides shade against extreme sunlight while providing enough light to carry out projects.

• Great protection for work areas and workers against weather conditions.

• Flame Retardant

Debris netting can be made from different materials including:

• Polyester

• High-Density Polyethylene

• Polypropylene

• PVC Coated Polyester

Generally, debris netting is green in color but in some high profile locations, it can be made from printed material to match the facade of the building behind it, information about the project team or client, for advertisements, a project's  time frame, etc.

Both fine mesh and heavy-duty mesh debris netting are manufactured to keep debris from falling and the size of the mesh used will be determined by the type of material required to contain debris on each project.

Some common installation sites / applications are: renovation and rehabilitation of covered bridges and historic structures.  They provide installation for demolition or repair work on highway infrastructures, railroad trestles, bridges over water, elevated locations for new construction of high-rise buildings, hotels, condominiums, resorts, etc.

The bottom line, debris nets remove the hazards of falling materials during construction, rehabilitation, and renovation.  The following are some projects that debris nets are perfect for:

Construction & Renovation Of Buildings:

During these projects, there is potential for falling bricks, concrete blocks, and tools being dropped that can lead to very serious injuries to workers, pedestrians, passing vehicles, and damage to the property.  There are several custom debris netting solutions to stop falling items from becoming hazards.

Debris containment is often accomplished by including personnel fall protection.  This is a very fine mesh liner that is sewn inside the mesh of the personnel net.  This liner is designed to catch small falling objects where the heavy-duty mesh offers added strength to stop heavy objects from falling.

Demolition Of Buildings:

There are several designs that offer containment of falling debris for high-rise buildings or buildings that are slated for demolition.  In a recent project installation of a vertical “cocoon' around a high-rise building for demolition, workers could demolish the building floor by floor starting at the top and working downward.   This system could be easily lowered to the next floor and each level thereafter.

Historic Structures & Buildings:

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Debris netting is perfect for protecting these structures and building from falling objects including moldings, cornices, masonry, and fragments.

For Bridges:

Debris netting is often used for many different purposes on bridges including personnel safety netting for bridges under construction, maintenance, and renovations.  It is also an excellent choice for historic or covered bridges to prevent falling debris.  This system will prevent permanent damage to these structures.

In other areas where falling debris is a problem, installing debris netting will give the project time to design and find a permanent solution to the problem.  In cases of low fall clearance or underneath roads, netting can be stretched tightly beneath them.  This will allow cars and other vehicles to pass safely while not damaging the system.

The Different Safety Nets:

Safety nets are very effective, inexpensive, and will provide personnel fall safety and the containment of debris.  Although made from a variety of materials and designs, most safety nets come in two popular designs for construction sites.

• Horizontal

• Vertical

Horizontal Safety Nets:

These nets are known as perimeter debris netting and are installed in construction sites to catch items that have already fallen usually from a significant height.  These items usually include bricks, hand tools, concrete blocks, and other hazardous debris.  The advantage to horizontal safety netting includes a heavy-duty grade for catching people who have fallen, due to the speed of the falling item, and the weight.  This netting can also be very easily moved as the construction progresses.

Vertical Safety Nets:

These nettings are green in color and are very easy to see on construction sites.  Vertical safety nets are used to protect people working on the building and often installed on ledges serving as a guardrail.  Vertical safety nets will protect people below from debris, tools, and other materials falling from the building.  The advantages of vertical safety netting include easy installation, easy removal, easy relocation, and storage.  Every process cuts down on preparation time, resulting in better productivity and is cost effective.

BS EN -2: Temporary Works Equipment. Safety Nets. Safety Requirements For The Positioning Limits that the maximum permissible fall height into a safety net is 6m from the work position, which means that the maximum nominal fall height from the centre of gravity of a person is 7m. It should be noted that for safety nets less than 35m2 in total area, or a side length less than 5m the maximum height an operative is allowed to work above a net is 2m as there is insufficient fabric area to absorb the energy of falls from a greater height.

Regulation 6 of the Work at Height Regulations deals with the avoidance of risks from working at height. The regulation requires that where falls cannot be prevented, measures are put in place to:

• Minimise the distance and consequence of a fall so far as is reasonably practicable
• Or where it is not reasonably practicable to minimise the distance, then measures must be taken to minimise the consequence of a fall

In practice this means that the fall distance into a safety net must be as little as is reasonably practicable which will usually be the underside of the structure being worked on, as the greater the fall distance into a net the greater the likelihood of injury.

All safety nets used for fall arrest must be subjected to an annual test of the energy absorption capacity of the net. When new, a safety net will normally be supplied with three test meshes loosely attached to the safety net. At no more than 12 month periods a test mesh will be taken off and tested (in accordance with ISO ).

Where the test mesh exceeds the minimum energy absorption capacity stated by the manufacturer then the nets may remain in service for a further period not exceeding twelve months. Where the energy absorption capacity falls below the level stated by the manufacturer then the net must be removed from service and destroyed.

The test house will produce written evidence of the results of the test which must be kept by the netting contractor until the following years test results are available. It is however good practice to keep all safety net test mesh results throughout the life of each net. It is also good practice for the test house to issue tags or labels which should be attached close to the manufacturers label to help confirm this information on site.

Please read Technical Bulletin 03 The Testing of Safety Nets for UV Degradation for more information.

The riggers aim will always be to rig a safety net with no gaps between the net edge and the structure to which it is attached, however a maximum permissible gap should be limited to 100mm wherever practical. It may not always be possible to achieve this in some circumstances i.e. lacing around columns, service pipes etc. and in these exceptional circumstances gaps up to 225mm are allowed.

Please read Technical Bulletin 10 Maximum Permissible Gaps for more information.

There are six methods of access currently recommended for rigging and de-rigging safety nets which should be considered in the following order:

1. Rig / de-rig remotely —using remote attachment devices.
2. Rig / de-rig using powered access — (MEWPs).
3. Rig / de-rig using ladders — (recommended maximum height 4.5m).
4. FASET Specialist Rigger – employing industrial climbing access techniques.
5. Rope Access Techniques – IRATA.
6. Mobile Access Towers.

Note: FASET do not recommend the use of scaffold towers or hop-ups for the rigging and de-rigging of safety nets under normal rigging conditions. There may be rare and isolated occasions for specific work where towers may be appropriate, having taken due regard of this document, and the hierarchy set out within. Where such occasions arise the rigging contractor must prepare a suitable specific risk assessment taking account of the rigging conditions and the additional control measures required. Towers must always be erected in accordance with the manufacturers / suppliers instructions by trained personnel.

Please read the Good Practice Guide: The Selection of Access Methods to Install and Dismantle Safety Netting for more information.

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