There have been changes to the Australian Standards relating to height safety user selection and maintenance.
Jason Myburgh, National Sales Manager for Austlift, was one of many contributing members involved through Standards Australia Committee SF-015, a highly active committee made up of regulators, manufacturers, engineers, trainers, industry associations, and technical specialists who worked collaboratively on the update over a number of years. He provides an overview of the changes and their implications to industry.
In Australia, there is a set of standards which dictate how everyone should operate at heights.
The revision of AS/NZS 1891.4 was part of a broader industry effort undertaken between 2015 and 2025 to align Australian height safety practices with modern equipment, updated manufacturing standards, and lessons learned from real-world use across industry.
“For years the standard we adhered to was a suite of standards known as AS/NZS 1891.1 through to 1891.4, which covered both manufacturers and users. Additional changes made to this suite by adding the anchor point standard AS/NZS 5532 in 2013, and then further splitting AS/NZS 1891.1 into two standards, AS/NZS 1891.1 and AS 1891.5 in 2020, led to confusion in the industry and made AS/NZS 1891.4:2009 (User Selection and Maintenance) inaccurate and unaligned to industry best practice,” said Jason.
The new standard AS/NZS 1891.4:2025 enables height safety systems to be managed through a specific selection hierarchy and strict hardware ratings, helping users select more effective prevention methods while meeting mandatory anchor and harness inspection requirements. After the committee made detailed changes to the testing and manufacturing standards AS/NZS 1891.1, AS/NZS 1891.3 and AS 1891.5, which were published in 2020, it became imperative to update the AS/NZS 5532 testing and manufacturing standard and align these changes into AS/NZS 1891.4 (Personal equipment for work at height – Part 4: Selection, use and maintenance), which specifies the requirements and recommendations for the selection, safe use, and maintenance of industrial fall arrest systems and devices.
“The previous Standard was an 89-page document that often required readers to move back and forth between sections to understand the content. The committee managed to condense and restructure the document to make it easier to read and follow,” Jason said.
One of the more significant changes involved the previous “hierarchy of control of risks for people working at heights” from the 2009 version. Historically, total restraint was listed first, followed by restraint technique systems, commonly known throughout industry as roof kit rope systems.
“A roof kit is one of the most common systems sold in our industry. They are available from multiple suppliers and can often be purchased off the shelf. Committee discussions highlighted ongoing industry concerns around the misuse of adjustable restraint systems, particularly where users were not adequately trained in managing lanyard length, swing fall, and fall clearance,” said Jason.
“As soon as your lanyard is over two metres, there is potential to fall more than two metres, increasing the overall level of risk. When working on a roof kit type rope system (adjustable lanyard assembly), users may have anything up to 30 or 40 metres of rope available. If the system is not adjusted continuously and accurately, and the user is not consciously aware of anchor positions and work location, it can become dangerous. However, when users are properly trained in restraint techniques and maintain the shortest practical fall distance, these systems remain an effective solution,” he said.
With the new standard, the onus is now on companies and users to understand the requirements and ensure appropriate training is undertaken to work safely at heights. Competency and correct system selection were key outcomes of the revised Standard.
The new Standard was released in September 2025.
“The Working at Heights Association (WAHA) is working on educational programs to advise industry about the changes within the Standard. The industry needs to become competent and the Standard is now clearer and easier to follow. Users need to ensure there is a suitable anchor point, an appropriate harness, and a compliant connection system. If a fall occurs, there must also be a rescue or recovery plan in place,” Jason said.
Manufacturers of height safety equipment also need to ensure products comply with the revised Standard.
“We’ve been working on our products for several years and have incorporated many updated features. For example, our harnesses now include breakaway parking points for twin-leg lanyards.
“If the unused leg of a twin-leg lanyard is connected directly to the harness structure and a fall occurs, the shock absorber may not deploy correctly, potentially increasing the risk of injury. By incorporating a breakaway parking point, the unused leg can release during a fall and allow the shock absorber to function as intended. While this is not a mandatory requirement, many manufacturers are now including these features as part of best practice,” he said.
Another important change within the Standard relates to fall clearance calculations. The updated AS/NZS 5532:2025 now includes additional considerations for expanding anchors, which can increase total fall distance during an arrest event.
“If your anchor stretches 600 millimetres and your shock absorber deploys 1.5 metres, a standard four metre clearance may no longer be enough to prevent injury. In these situations, users should consider systems such as retractable lanyards that keep free fall distances significantly shorter,” Jason explained.
“One of the biggest takeaways from the revised Standard is that industry needs to better understand the hierarchy for selecting fall-protection systems and ensure the equipment is correctly matched to the task. Every job site is different, which makes competency and correct system selection critical,” he said.
The crane industry also needs to pay close attention to the updated Standard, particularly where workers are operating in elevated work platforms, man boxes, or undertaking rigging work at height.
“Crane hire businesses need to ensure their crews understand the revised requirements. In many cases these workers already have a high level of practical experience, but management must still ensure they are trained and competent under the updated Standard,” Jason said.
“With Chain of Responsibility requirements continuing to expand across industry, everyone involved in working at height now shares responsibility. Manufacturers must ensure products are compliant and tested, while users must ensure equipment is correctly fitted, attached to suitable anchors, and used within the correct fall distance limitations,” he said.
Both manufacturers and users have clear responsibilities under the revised framework.
“As manufacturers, we must ensure compliant equipment is supplied. Users must ensure they are trained, competent, and understand how to use the equipment correctly. If there is any uncertainty, they should seek guidance and training from competent providers or manufacturers.”
The updated Standard reflects the combined experience and input of a broad range of industry professionals across Standards Australia Committee SF-015, with the overall goal of improving clarity, competency, and safety outcomes for people working at height.
