AS/NZS 1891.1-4:2025 Explained: Practical Obligations for Building Owners

AS/NZS 1891 is the Australian and New Zealand standard series governing personal equipment used for work at height. For building owners, facilities managers, and strata committees, understanding this standard is not optional. If your building has anchor points, static lines, or any other fall protection system, the equipment attached to those systems and the systems themselves must comply with AS/NZS 1891 and its companion standards.

The 2025 revision updated testing requirements, load ratings, and documentation obligations across all four parts. If your systems were installed or last certified under an earlier edition, a recertification audit may be warranted.

What AS/NZS 1891 Actually Covers

The standard is split into four distinct parts. Each part covers a different category of personal fall protection equipment. Building owners do not need to memorise every clause, but understanding what each part addresses will help you ask the right questions of your installer or certifier.

Part 1: Industrial Safety Belts and Harnesses

AS/NZS 1891.1:2025 covers the design, manufacture, and testing of full-body harnesses and safety belts used in fall arrest and work positioning applications. This is the equipment worn by the person working at height.

For building owners, the direct obligation here is indirect but real. When you engage a contractor to work on your roof, you have a duty under the WHS Act to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the work is carried out safely. That includes confirming that the contractor's harnesses comply with AS/NZS 1891.1:2025 and are in serviceable condition. A harness that fails an inspection under this standard should not be used on your building, regardless of who owns it.

Part 1 also sets out inspection intervals and criteria for retirement of harnesses. A harness involved in a fall arrest event must be taken out of service immediately, even if it shows no visible damage.

Part 2: Horizontal Lifeline Systems

AS/NZS 1891.2:2025 governs horizontal lifeline systems, also called static line systems or traveller systems. These are the cable or rail systems that run along a roof or elevated surface, allowing a worker to clip on at one end and traverse the full length without disconnecting.

This part covers the design loads, anchor requirements, energy absorption, and installation standards for these systems. It also sets out the maximum number of users permitted on a system simultaneously, which varies depending on the system's design and the number and spacing of intermediate supports.

For building owners, Part 2 is directly relevant because horizontal lifeline systems are fixed infrastructure attached to your building. You are responsible for ensuring the system is installed to the standard, inspected at the required intervals, and certified by a competent person. The 2025 edition tightened the load testing requirements for intermediate supports and updated the documentation that must accompany a certified system.

Part 3: Fall Arrest Devices

AS/NZS 1891.3:2025 covers self-retracting lanyards (SRLs), inertia reels, and similar devices that arrest a fall automatically. These devices connect the worker's harness to an anchor point or lifeline and lock when subjected to a sudden load.

The standard sets performance requirements for locking speed, maximum arresting force, and energy absorption. It also distinguishes between devices rated for leading-edge use (where the lanyard may pass over a sharp edge during a fall) and standard devices, which are not rated for that condition.

Building owners should be aware that the type of fall arrest device used on their roof must be appropriate for the geometry of the roof and the anchor system installed. A standard SRL used in a leading-edge scenario is a non-compliant arrangement, regardless of whether the anchor point itself is certified.

Part 4: Selection, Use, and Maintenance

AS/NZS 1891.4:2025 is arguably the most practically important part for building owners and facilities managers. It covers the selection, use, and maintenance of personal fall protection equipment as a system, rather than as individual components.

This part addresses:

• How to select the correct combination of anchor, lanyard, and harness for a given task
• Clearance distances required below an anchor point to prevent a worker from striking a lower level during a fall
• Inspection requirements and frequencies for all components
• Rescue planning obligations when fall arrest systems are in use
• Competency requirements for persons who inspect and maintain equipment

For building owners, Part 4 is the bridge between having compliant equipment installed and ensuring it is actually used safely. A certified anchor point on your roof does not automatically mean the work being carried out from it is compliant. The selection of the right lanyard, the correct attachment method, and the available clearance below the anchor all determine whether the system will arrest a fall within a safe distance.

The Distinction Between AS/NZS 1891 and AS 5532

One of the most common points of confusion for building owners is the relationship between AS/NZS 1891 and AS 5532:2025.

AS/NZS 1891 governs the personal equipment side of the equation: harnesses, lanyards, lifelines, and fall arrest devices. AS 5532:2025 governs the anchor devices themselves, specifically single-point anchors that are permanently fixed to a structure.

Put simply: the anchor bolted to your roof is covered by AS 5532. The harness, lanyard, and any connecting hardware worn or carried by the worker are covered by AS/NZS 1891. Both standards must be satisfied for a compliant system.

AS 5532:2025 sets the manufacturing and load rating requirements for single-point anchors. Anchors must be rated to either 15kN or 21kN depending on the application, and they must be installed by a licensed installer using approved fixings into a substrate that can transfer those loads to the building structure. The 2025 update introduced revised testing protocols and tightened the documentation requirements for anchor certification.

Single-Point Anchors vs Horizontal Lifeline Systems

Building owners frequently ask which system is appropriate for their roof. The answer depends on the roof geometry, the frequency and nature of access, and the number of workers who need to access the roof simultaneously.

Single-point anchors are individual fixed points, each rated to AS 5532:2025. A worker clips their lanyard to the anchor and works within the radius that the lanyard permits. If the work area extends beyond that radius, the worker must disconnect and reconnect to a different anchor. This means there are moments during movement between anchors when the worker is not connected to fall protection.

Single-point anchors are appropriate for infrequent access to defined locations, such as a rooftop HVAC unit or a skylight that requires periodic maintenance. They are lower in installation cost than a lifeline system and are suitable where the work area is fixed and the fall risk during movement between anchors can be managed by other means.

Horizontal lifeline systems, governed by AS/NZS 1891.2:2025, allow continuous connection across the full travel path. The worker clips on at one end and remains connected throughout the traverse. This eliminates the disconnection risk and is the appropriate solution for roofs where workers need to move across a large area, where access is frequent, or where the roof geometry creates fall risks at multiple points along the travel path.

Horizontal lifelines are more expensive to install and require more detailed engineering design, particularly around the end anchors, which must absorb the dynamic load of a fall arrest event across the full span. They also require more detailed inspection and certification, including load testing of the end and intermediate anchors.

For many commercial and strata buildings, the right answer is a combination: lifeline systems along the primary travel paths, with single-point anchors at fixed work locations such as plant platforms or skylight positions.

What Building Owners Are Responsible For

Under the WHS Act and Regulations, a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has a duty to manage risks to health and safety. For building owners and strata committees, this duty extends to the roof and any other elevated areas where workers may access your building.

In practical terms, this means:

• Ensuring any installed height safety systems are certified and current
• Maintaining records of installation, inspection, and recertification
• Ensuring contractors accessing the roof are using compliant equipment
• Having a documented rescue plan in place for fall arrest scenarios
• Arranging periodic audits of the installed systems against the current edition of the relevant standards

The 2025 editions of AS/NZS 1891 and AS 5532 are the current benchmarks. Systems installed and certified under earlier editions are not automatically non-compliant, but they should be reviewed against the updated requirements at the next scheduled inspection.

Getting Your Systems Audited

If you are unsure whether your building's height safety systems meet the current standards, a formal compliance audit is the starting point. An audit will identify any installed systems, assess their condition and certification status, check whether the equipment is appropriate for the access tasks being performed, and produce a written report with any remediation items prioritised.

Height Safety Sydney conducts height safety audits across commercial and industrial buildings in Sydney and greater NSW, assessing systems against AS/NZS 1891.1-4:2025, AS 5532:2025, and applicable WHS regulations. Details on audit and installation services are available at https://sydney.height-safety.au.