Although fall protection devices have existed for a long time, the related legislation has developed more slowly, and the practical implementation of regulations has been even slower.
Legislative Decree 81/2008 (and previously Law 626/94) should, on its own, have been sufficient to require appropriate solutions enabling workers in various sectors to carry out their activities under safe conditions. In this respect, the employer must always ensure—through a risk assessment tailored to the specific activity—that employees operate safely.
In the case of work at height, it is evident that accessing roofs without adequate protection and suitable fall arrest systems exposes workers to a risk of falling from height, which in the most serious cases may result in fatal accidents.
It is also evident that making a roof safe may sometimes be more costly than the maintenance activity itself. For example, consider the recalibration of an antenna compared with the installation and subsequent dismantling of scaffolding. Clearly, the costs associated with safety measures via scaffolding far exceed those of the antenna adjustment itself.
This situation has improved with the introduction of permanent anchorage devices (lifelines), which have significantly reduced intervention costs, particularly when considered over the entire service life of a building.
Nevertheless, in an effort to secure work contracts, operators have often ignored—and in some cases still ignore—these requirements, thereby exposing themselves to a serious fall hazard.
For this reason, in Lombardy, it became necessary to introduce a series of regulations aimed at equipping buildings with fall protection systems before their actual use becomes necessary.
Such provisions were already present in Bergamo in 2003, with Administrative Act No. 787 of 15 July 2003 issued by the ASL. This was followed by Regional Circular No. 4 of 23 January 2004, the Regional Government Resolution of 23 July 2004, No. VII/18344, and finally Decree No. 119 of 14/01/2009 – Provisions concerning the prevention of fall-from-height risks to reduce workplace accidents in the construction sector.
These regulations established the mandatory installation of permanent fall protection systems in residential, industrial, commercial and agricultural buildings, both for new constructions and for extraordinary maintenance works affecting structural elements.
Although these laws did not impose mandatory installation in every situation, they have significantly contributed to raising employer awareness in maintenance activities. In recent years, employers increasingly require the building safety file (Fascicolo dell’Opera) or equivalent documentation before accessing roofs and may refuse to carry out work in the absence of the necessary protective systems.
