Test meshes and safety nets
Do safety nets have an expiration date?
We must remember that according to the EN 1263.1 standard the primary purpose of safety nets is:
- protection of site personnel and also
- protection of pedestrians from falling personnel or objects.
A safety net is considered to be no longer suitable for use when it loses its energy absorption capacity. To find out if it is still safe to use, we have test meshes (also known as test patches or mesh ropes).
What are the test meshes?
The test meshes are made of the same netting from which the safety net has been manufactured and attached to it. Their purpose is to enable us to determine the possible deterioration of the net. Among the causes for the deterioration of a safety net, we find the exposure to certain climatic conditions: humidity, temperature, UV-rays, etc. Other harmful agents for the net can be splashes of incandescent material, sparks, chemical products, etc.
Are test meshes mandatory?
According to the abovementioned standard, test meshes are mandatory. They are supplied in order to carry out a test prior to the reuse of the net after 1 year of service.
When is a safety net considered unfit for use?
A safety net will be unfit for use in the following cases:
- There has been a breakage or injury to it and/or
- The result of the technical analysis provided by the control meshes is unfavorable.
How many test meshes do we supply at Visornets?
At Visornets we supply 3 test meshes. All of them contain their traceability code printed and perfectly visible.
If you have any questions about the use of test meshes, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to answer your questions.
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[…] with a suitable anti-UV treatment to extend their lifespan as much as possible and carry out the mandatory annual recertification tests to periodically check that they are still in a good state […]