Safety nets have a defined service life. Under BS EN 1263-1, nets are labelled with their manufacture date and are certified for a specific period of use, typically twelve months in the field, subject to inspection and condition. On short programmes, service life is not typically a live issue. On longer programmes, nets installed at the start of the project may reach their certified end of life before the programme completes, at which point their compliance status changes.
The specific mechanism is that a net used beyond its certified service life is no longer covered by the manufacturer's warranty and is no longer certified to perform to the BS EN 1263-1 specification. In practice, the net may still perform adequately for some period beyond the certified life, but the compliance case for its use is materially weaker. In the event of an incident, the investigation will identify the net as being outside its certified service life, and the principal contractor's position becomes correspondingly harder to defend.
On construction programmes of eighteen months or longer, this is a real operational issue. Nets installed at the beginning of the programme will reach twelve months of service before the programme completes. The choice is either to plan for scheduled replacement at the twelve-month point or to accept that the nets will be operating beyond their certified life for the remainder of the programme.
Red Safety Netting's approach on long programmes is to schedule net replacement at the manufacturer's certified interval, with the replacement work built into the programme rather than treated as an ad hoc event. The developer and principal contractor know in advance when the replacements will occur, the cost is transparent, and the compliance case for the fall protection remains current throughout.
There is a related consideration around net testing that is worth flagging. Some jurisdictions and some clients require periodic testing of nets beyond simple visual inspection. Load testing, dynamic testing, or laboratory return of sample nets for full performance testing. Where these requirements apply, the testing has to be scheduled into the programme alongside the replacement decisions.
For principal contractors, the practical question is whether the fall protection contractor has an active service life management process. Where they do, the compliance position is maintained without the principal contractor having to track it. Where they do not, the principal contractor takes on the tracking responsibility by default, and the tracking is often incomplete.
There is a specific commercial arrangement worth mentioning. On programmes where the fall protection is provided on a long-term basis and the contractor manages the service life, the contract can be structured to include the replacement work as part of the ongoing service rather than as a separate procurement event. This produces a predictable cost profile for the developer and a straightforward operational arrangement.
Where the fall protection is provided on a per-installation basis and the developer or principal contractor is expected to manage the replacement decision, the arrangement produces less predictable cost and more compliance risk. Small schemes may prefer the per-installation model for cost reasons. Larger and longer schemes usually benefit from the managed service model.
There is an environmental dimension to net replacement worth noting. Replaced nets, if they cannot be reused, become industrial waste. Some can be reused on lower-specification applications after inspection and re-certification. Some can be recycled through specific waste streams. The specific arrangements depend on the net type and the local waste management infrastructure.
Red Safety Netting's replacement service includes take-back and appropriate disposal or recycling of replaced nets. Where reuse on lower-specification applications is possible, the nets are reallocated. Where recycling is the appropriate route, they are handled through certified waste streams. The developer's environmental compliance position is supported without additional overhead.
For QSs on long programmes, the practical advice is to specify the replacement approach at tender stage. Where the approach is documented, the cost is transparent and predictable. Where it is not, the cost emerges as variations across the life of the project.
Talk to Red Safety Netting To discuss net replacement scheduling on your long-running project on your scheme, contact Red Safety Netting on 01223 881667 or email enquiries@theglobegroup.co.uk.
