Despite the fact that everybody in the building and construction sector knows that working at height brings a significant risk, the essential safety precautions are not always taken to ensure the safety of workers. Regrettably  on numerous occasions not even those required by current legislation.

Amongst the collective preventative measures determined by law, the use of safety nets stands apart. They permit workers to perform their duties with freedom of movement.

Not only do you have to ensure that the safety nets have been correctly installed. You also need to carry out certain maintenance and control tasks to ensure that they are in excellent condition for operation.

Basic maintenance of safety nets in construction

Below we go on to detail some basic tips for maintaining safety nets:

1. Check the netting to detect possible deterioration, cracks or remains of concrete at the end of the day that may weaken it and reduce its ability to function. This is a fundamental point in the maintenance of safety nets.
2. Remove all objects that have fallen into the nets. It is important to proceed with the removal of all construction elements that may have fallen into the nets.
3. Make sure that the anchors are in perfect condition and will maintain their function, preventing the net from being accidentally unhooked. In addition, it is necessary to check that these anchors are not rusted or deformed.
4. In addition, the expiration date of the safety net must be verified. The nets have one year of expiration from the date of manufacture and not from the date they were used for the first time.

These tips can be summarized in one: carry out regular inspections on safety nets. These inspections must be carried out by competent personnel, with adequate knowledge to identify obvious defects and who can have an objective view of the system being inspected.