The essential safety netting checklist: are your FASET installations meeting 2026 standards?

As a site manager, one question keeps you up at night: "If an accident happened tomorrow, could I prove we did everything right?"

With the construction industry under increasing scrutiny in 2026, the margin for error in fall protection has vanished. Safety netting remains the preferred method for collective fall arrest, but simply having nets strung up is no longer enough. The HSE is cracking down on non-compliant installations, and "we've always done it this way" is not a legal defense.

This checklist covers the FASET and BS EN 1263-1 requirements to check before, during and after every installation, to protect your workers and your liability.

2026 safety netting standards: what you must know

Bs en 1263-1:2015 & bs en 1263-2:2015

The European Standards governing safety nets are rigorous. Your installations must demonstrate compliance with:

• Mesh size & energy absorption: Correct classification (Class A1, A2, B1, B2) for the specific height and load.
• Material strength: Annual testing of test cords to ensure UV degradation hasn't compromised integrity.
• Traceability: Every net must have a label showing manufacturer, date of manufacture, and class.

Legal requirement

"Under Work at Height Regulations 2005, employers must ensure work at height is carried out by competent persons. Non-compliance can result in prosecution, unlimited fines, and imprisonment."

Your FASET safety netting compliance checklist

1. Verify installer qualifications

• Ensure all operatives hold valid FASET CSCS cards.
• Verify specific endorsements for the type of netting (e.g., 'Safety Net Rigger').
• RED FLAG: General labourers or scaffolders without specific FASET training attempting to rig nets.

2. Confirm IRATA certification for high-level work

• If using rope access, verify all technicians are IRATA Level 1, 2, or 3 qualified.
• Ensure an IRATA Level 3 supervisor is responsible for the rope access safety method.

3. Obtain detailed risk assessment

• Site-specific RAMS (Risk Assessment & Method Statement) must be present.
• Must account for rescue capabilities if a fall occurs into the net.
• Must account for ground clearance distance.

4. Review method statements

• Method of access (MEWP, Ladder, or Rope Access) clearly defined.
• Anchorage point selection criteria clearly defined.

5. Verify net specifications

• Check Net Class (A1, A2, B1, B2) matches potential fall height.
• Confirm nets are within 12 months of manufacture or have a current annual test tag.
• RED FLAG: Nets with missing labels or expired test dates are illegal to use.

6. Confirm support structure adequacy

• Ensure steelwork or structure can withstand characteristic loads (6kN at 45° etc.).
• Anchors must not be attached to non-load bearing elements like gutters.

7. Verify correct installation positioning

• Maximum fall height generally should not exceed 2m.
• Nets must be installed as close as possible to the working level.
• Check for sufficient clearance below the net (deflection distance).

8. Check border rope installation

• Border ropes must be attached with tested tie ropes (min 30kN breaking strain).
• Maximum gap between attachment points must not exceed 2.5m.

9. Inspect debris netting (if applicable)

• If debris containment is required, ensure overlay netting is securely attached.
• Ensure debris load has been calculated in the structural support assessment.

10. Document installation

• Handover certificate must be issued immediately upon completion.
• Must state the area covered, net references, and date of expiry.

11. Conduct test installation inspection

• Physical visual check by a competent person before allowing work above.
• Check for sagging, gaps, or loose ties.

12. Verify documentation package

• Keep the Handover Certificate on site at all times.
• Ensure rescue plan is communicated to all workers.

13. Establish regular inspection schedule

• Nets must be inspected formally every 7 days.
• Nets must be inspected after adverse weather (high winds, snow).
• Legal note: 7-day inspections must be recorded.

14. Set up maintenance protocol

• Clear debris from nets regularly (do not allow heavy buildup).
• Prohibit use of nets for storage of materials.

15. Plan for removal and disposal

• Method statement for safe dismantling.
• Check nets for damage after removal before returning to store.

The 7 most common FASET compliance failures (and how to avoid them)

Using unqualified installers

Hiring general labourers or scaffolding companies without specific FASET qualifications to rig nets.

Immediate prosecution if an accident occurs. Insurance will likely be void. Heavy fines are likely.

The Solution: Only hire contractors who can present current FASET CSCS cards for every operative on site.

Inadequate documentation (handover certs)

Failing to obtain or retain the formal Handover Certificate after installation is complete.

You have no legal proof that the system was safe when you took control of it. You assume 100% liability.

The Solution: Do not allow work to commence above nets until the Handover Certificate is physically signed and filed.

Incorrect net positioning (clearance)

Installing nets with insufficient clearance below (deflection distance), meaning a falling person would hit the ground/machinery.

Fatal injuries despite netting being present. Charges of gross negligence manslaughter.

The Solution: Adhere strictly to BS EN 1263-2 clearance charts. Ensure no machinery is moved underneath after rigging.

Skipping regular inspections

Assuming nets are 'fit and forget' and failing to perform the mandatory 7-day inspections.

Nets damaged by site activity (cutting, burning) fail when needed. Breach of WAHR 2005.

The Solution: Appoint a competent person to inspect and record net condition every 7 days without fail.

Using inappropriate net specifications

Using old, untested, or wrong class nets (e.g., using a light duty net for a heavy duty application).

Net failure under load. Complete system collapse.

The Solution: Verify test patches (tags) on every net. Confirm Class A2 or B2 suitability in the design phase.

Inadequate support structures

Attaching nets to gutters, purlin lips, or brickwork that hasn't been verified by a structural engineer.

Structural failure. The net catches the person, but the building pulls down on top of them.

The Solution: Anchor points must be identified in the RAMS and verified capable of sustaining a 6kN load.

Ignoring environmental factors

Leaving nets up for extended periods in high UV or exposing them to chemical fumes without re-testing.

Rapid degradation of net strength (loss of strength you can't see with the naked eye).

The Solution: UV degradation testing for nets in place longer than 12 months. protect from solvents/acids.

Why IRATA-certified installation matters for high-level safety netting

Traditionally, safety netting was installed using MEWPs (cherry pickers) or ladders. However, as buildings become more complex and sites more congested, the Hybrid FASET + IRATA approach has become the gold standard for efficiency and safety.

When is IRATA certification essential?

• Fragile roofs: Where MEWPs cannot access and walking is unsafe.
• Historic buildings: Where scaffolding is prohibited due to conservation rules.
• Over machinery: Active factories where floor space cannot be cleared for cherry pickers.
• High atriums: Heights exceeding standard MEWP reach (>40m).
• Tight schedules: Projects requiring rapid rigging and de-rigging.

Faster to rig

Rope access teams can rig netting in a fraction of the time required to erect scaffolding.

Cost savings

Eliminate expensive plant hire (MEWPs) and scaffolding rental fees.

Minimal disruption

Work continues at ground level while our technicians operate silently above.

At RAT Work, nets are installed by FASET-trained operatives and supervised by IRATA Level 3 technicians, so even hard-to-reach areas are netted safely, legally and efficiently.

What HSE inspectors look for during safety netting inspections

1. Documentation review

Inspectors will ask for these immediately:

• Handover Certificate (completed & signed)
• Site-Specific RAMS
• Rescue Plan (Specific to netting fall)
• Operative Competence Cards (FASET + CSCS)
• Weekly Inspection Records (The '7-day check')
• Net Test Certificates (Annual UV test)
• Anchor Point Testing/Tagging records

2. Physical inspection

Inspectors will physically check for:

• Sagging (Is the net correctly tensioned?)
• Gaps >100mm between net and structure
• Visible UV damage or fraying
• Debris accumulation in the net
• Integrity of tie-off knots
• Security of anchor points

Common inspector questions:

• "Who inspected this net last Tuesday?"
• "Show me the rescue kit you would use if someone fell into this net right now."
• "Why is there a gap larger than 100mm at that column?"
• "Where is the proof that this anchor point can take a 6kN load?"

The real cost of non-compliance: beyond the fines

Legal consequences

Directors can be held personally liable. Gross negligence manslaughter charges are real and carry custodial sentences.

Project delays

A Prohibition Notice stops ALL work. The cost of standing down a full site team for weeks often exceeds the fine itself.

Implementing your compliance strategy: next steps

1 immediate actions (this week)

• Audit all current netting for valid tags (must be <12 months old).
• Verify FASET cards for every installer currently on site.
• Locate the Handover Certificate for every active net.
• Check the last 7-day inspection log entry.

2 short-term actions (this month)

• Update your subcontractor pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) to require FASET membership.
• Schedule a toolbox talk on "Working Above Safety Nets".
• Review your rescue plan with the local fire brigade or safety consultant.

Compliance is not optional. Safety is not negotiable.

BS EN 1263-1 and the Work at Height Regulations are complicated, and getting them wrong is expensive. Compliance takes trained installers and proper paperwork.

At RAT Work, safety nets are installed by FASET-trained operatives under IRATA Level 3 supervision, and every installation is handed over with a certificate for your site records.