AS/NZS 1891.1-4:2025: What Building Owners Need to Know About the Updated Fall Protection Standards

AS/NZS 1891 is the Australian and New Zealand standard series governing personal equipment for work at height. For building owners, facilities managers, and strata committees, it is not optional reading. If your building has a roof that anyone accesses for maintenance, cleaning, plant servicing, or inspections, this standard series directly shapes what equipment must be installed, how it must be tested, and how often it must be recertified.

The 2025 revision updated both the technical requirements and the testing protocols across all four parts. If your building's height safety systems were installed or last audited before 2025, a compliance gap may already exist.

What AS/NZS 1891 Actually Covers

The standard is split into four distinct parts. Each part addresses a different category of personal fall protection equipment. Understanding the split matters because different trades access your roof with different equipment, and your installed anchor systems need to be compatible with all of it.

Part 1: Industrial Safety Belts and Harnesses

AS/NZS 1891.1:2025 sets the manufacturing, performance, and testing requirements for full-body harnesses and safety belts used in fall arrest and work positioning applications. This part governs the equipment workers wear, not what is fixed to your building. However, it is directly relevant to building owners because the anchor points and lifeline systems installed on your roof must be rated to handle the forces generated when a harness-wearing worker falls.

A standard fall arrest event can generate a peak load of 6kN or more on an anchor point, depending on fall distance and the energy-absorbing characteristics of the lanyard. Your anchor system must be rated to absorb that load with a safety margin. Part 1 defines the harness side of that equation.

Part 2: Horizontal Lifeline Systems

AS/NZS 1891.2:2025 covers the design, installation, and performance requirements for horizontal lifeline (static line) systems. These are the cable or rail systems that run along a roofline or across a roof plane, allowing workers to clip in at one end and traverse the full length without disconnecting.

Horizontal lifelines are the preferred solution for roofs where workers need to move continuously, such as along a parapet to inspect gutters, or across a flat roof to service multiple HVAC units. The standard requires that the system be designed by a competent person, that end anchors and intermediate supports meet specific load ratings, and that the system be tested and certified after installation.

One detail that catches building owners off guard: the dynamic loads on a horizontal lifeline system are substantially higher than on a single-point anchor. When a worker falls mid-span on a horizontal cable, the cable deflects and the resulting forces on the end anchors can reach 15kN to 25kN depending on system geometry and the number of users. Part 2 specifies how these forces must be calculated and how the system must be designed to accommodate them.

Part 3: Fall Arrest Devices

AS/NZS 1891.3:2025 covers self-retracting lifelines (SRLs), rope grabs, and other devices that arrest a fall in progress. These are the intermediate components between the harness and the anchor point. They are typically supplied by the worker or their employer, but building owners need to understand them because the anchor points on your roof must be compatible with the attachment mechanisms these devices use.

SRLs, for example, must be anchored overhead or at near-overhead height to function correctly. An anchor point installed at foot level creates a longer fall distance before the device activates, potentially exceeding the clearance available before the worker strikes a lower level. If your anchor points were positioned without considering the fall arrest devices workers will use, the system may be non-compliant regardless of the anchor's own rating.

Part 4: Selection, Use, and Maintenance

AS/NZS 1891.4:2025 is the operational part of the series. It covers how equipment should be selected for a given task, how it should be used, and what maintenance and inspection regimes apply. For building owners, this part is particularly relevant because it defines the inspection intervals and documentation requirements for installed systems.

Part 4 requires that installed anchor systems and lifelines be inspected by a competent person at intervals not exceeding twelve months, and after any event that may have loaded the system, such as a fall arrest or a significant weather event. Records of inspections must be retained and made available on request.

The Relationship Between AS/NZS 1891 and AS 5532:2025

Building owners often encounter two different standard references when getting quotes for anchor installation: AS/NZS 1891 and AS 5532. These are not competing standards. They govern different things.

AS 5532:2025 sets the manufacturing requirements for single-point anchor devices. It specifies how an individual anchor must be constructed, what materials are acceptable, and what load testing the anchor itself must pass before it leaves the factory. A single-point anchor rated to AS 5532:2025 must withstand a proof load of 15kN and an ultimate load of 21kN without failure.

AS/NZS 1891, particularly Parts 1 and 2, then governs how those anchors are used within a complete fall protection system. The anchor is one component. The harness, the lanyard or SRL, the worker's training, and the work method statement are the rest. Both standards must be satisfied simultaneously.

When a height safety installer certifies an anchor point on your building, they are certifying that the anchor meets AS 5532:2025 and that its installation into your roof structure meets the load transfer requirements referenced in AS/NZS 1891. The substrate matters as much as the anchor itself. A 21kN-rated anchor fixed into deteriorated concrete or inadequate steel may fail at a fraction of its rated load.

Single-Point Anchors vs Horizontal Lifeline Systems

Choosing between single-point anchors and a horizontal lifeline system is a design decision that depends on the access patterns your roof requires.

Single-point anchors are appropriate where workers access a fixed location repeatedly, such as a rooftop plant room, a specific section of roof cladding, or a fixed ladder egress point. Each anchor covers a work zone defined by the length of the lanyard or SRL. If the work zone requires the worker to move more than a few metres, a single anchor becomes a restraint limitation rather than a fall protection solution.

Horizontal lifeline systems are appropriate where workers need to traverse a length of roof. A static line running the length of a parapet, for example, allows a worker to inspect the full gutter run without disconnecting. The trade-off is cost and structural demand. Horizontal lifelines require more complex design, higher-rated anchor points at each end, and intermediate supports at specified intervals. Installation cost is typically three to five times that of an equivalent number of single-point anchors.

Some buildings need both. A flat commercial roof with multiple HVAC units and a perimeter parapet might have a horizontal lifeline along the parapet and individual anchors at each plant item.

Practical Obligations for Building Owners

Under the WHS Act and Regulations as enforced in New South Wales, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has a duty to manage risks associated with work at height. Building owners who engage contractors to access their roofs are PCBUs for the purposes of that access. That duty does not transfer entirely to the contractor.

In practical terms, this means:

• Installed systems must meet current standards.: Systems installed to superseded standards may still be in service, but they must be assessed against AS/NZS 1891.1-4:2025 and AS 5532:2025 to confirm they remain fit for purpose.
• Inspection records must be current.: Annual inspections by a competent person are required. Gaps in the inspection record create liability exposure.
• Anchor points must be appropriate for the tasks performed.: An anchor installed for window cleaning may not be appropriate for solar panel maintenance if the work zone or fall geometry differs.
• Strata committees share this obligation.: In a strata-titled building, the owners corporation is the relevant PCBU for common property roof access. Individual lot owners are not absolved of the obligation by the strata structure.

A height safety audit against AS/NZS 1891.1-4:2025 will identify whether your installed systems are compliant, whether inspection records are adequate, and whether the anchor placement suits the access tasks your building actually requires. It is the starting point for any building owner who is uncertain about their current position.

What to Do Next

If your building's height safety systems have not been audited against the 2025 standards, or if inspection records are more than twelve months old, the compliance position is unclear. That uncertainty carries real risk under NSW WHS legislation.

Height Safety Sydney conducts full compliance audits against AS/NZS 1891.1-4:2025 and AS 5532:2025, covering anchor assessment, lifeline systems, inspection documentation, and access route adequacy. Visit [https://sydney.height-safety.au](https://sydney.height-safety.au) to find out what an audit involves and what it typically identifies on commercial and strata buildings across Sydney.