To protect the safety of operators, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of all regulations concerning lifeline systems currently in force at national and regional level. In this article we explain when lifelines are mandatory, how the obligation to ensure safety is regulated, and the required timelines for lifeline maintenance.
Topics covered include:
Lifelines are safety devices, more precisely fall-arrest anchorage devices. They are regulated by European standards UNI EN 795:2012 and UNI 11578:2015, which define performance, requirements and testing methods.
So when are lifelines mandatory? According to current regulations on work at height, the person responsible for safety is required to ensure protection for so-called work at height. This includes any activity carried out at a height of 2 metres or more above a stable surface.
Lifelines are part of fall protection systems and are therefore necessary to secure activities such as installation, maintenance and roof work.
In Italy, lifeline regulations exist at two levels: national and regional.
Lifeline systems are safety devices, or more precisely, fall-arrest anchor devices. These are regulated by the following European technical standards:
These standards specify the performance, requirements and test methods for anchor devices.
But let’s get to the point: when are lifeline systems mandatory? Under current regulations governing work at height, the person responsible for safety is required to ensure the safety of so-called “work at height”. Work at height refers to any work or activity carried out at a height of 2 metres or more above a stable surface.
Lifeline systems fall into the category of fall-arrest devices and are therefore required to ensure safety during certain work activities, such as: assembly, maintenance, roof work, and so on.
In Italy, there are laws governing lifeline systems and fall-arrest devices at two levels: national and regional.
At national level, work at height is regulated by Article 115 of Legislative Decree 81/2008, concerning “Systems for Protection against Falls from Height”. This article sets out all the equipment and devices deemed necessary to ensure the safety of workers carrying out activities at height; these devices include lifeline systems, in the form of anchor systems.
More specifically, national legislation states that where collective safety measures have not been adopted, safety must be ensured through suitable personal protective equipment, compliant with the technical standards set out in the regulations.
Compliant safety devices include:
The legislation also states that it is not strictly necessary for the devices to be used simultaneously, unless this is essential to ensure safety.
On the other hand, several regions have decided to raise awareness of the issue and have introduced a requirement to install lifeline systems on roofs and coverings at height. Regional legislation exists in the following regions:
In these regions, the mandatory use of lifeline systems has been introduced in certain situations and contexts. The regions listed require the installation of lifeline systems in new buildings or for renovation/installation work at height.
A lifeline system is a fall-arrest anchor device governed by technical standards such as:
It falls within the systems provided for under Legislative Decree 81/2008 (Article 115) for protection against falls from height.
This implies a key principle: safety is not guaranteed by installation, but by ongoing maintenance over time.
Under the regulations:
During the periodic inspection, in accordance with the standard’s requirements, we check:
Request a Technical Inspection of Your Lifeline System
One of our qualified technicians will assess the condition of the system and identify any non-conformities before they become a risk.
CONTATTACIEvery lifeline system (or anchor system) must be inspected at regular intervals, generally annual, as recommended by the manufacturer of the devices. In any case, the technical standard requires that the interval between two inspections must not exceed 2 years.
There is a requirement for periodic inspection and maintenance of lifeline systems for several reasons, two of which are of particular importance:
All types of lifeline systems must undergo maintenance carried out by qualified personnel (relevant installers and/or inspectors). Under standard UNI 11560:2014, the personnel responsible for the inspection must consist of competent technicians known as intermediate installers or advanced installers, who must possess the skills set out in standard UNI 11900:2023.
On completion of maintenance work on the lifeline system, key documents must be issued to ensure the system’s legal validity.
Mandatory documents:
Choosing Spider for the maintenance of your lifeline system means choosing a partner that manages the entire process with a structured, certified approach focused on genuine safety, not just formal compliance.
Unlike many other operators, Spider offers a comprehensive service that goes beyond simple inspection:
In an area where lifeline system maintenance is directly linked to civil and criminal liability, choosing Spider means turning a regulatory obligation into a concrete guarantee of safety, compliance and operational continuity.
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