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The Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations clearly state that collective protective measures must be prioritised over individual ones.
Personal protective equipment may only be used where other measures are insufficient.
This means the employer must always begin by examining whether the risk can be eliminated or prevented through measures other than personal fall protection equipment.
The purpose of the protection hierarchy is to ensure that the most effective measures are used first, so that the risk of fall accidents is minimised as far as possible.
The protection hierarchy requires the employer to systematically work through the following steps:
- Can the risk of falling be eliminated?
- Can the risk be prevented using collective protective measures?
- Is personal fall protection equipment required?
The selection of protective measures must always be based on a risk assessment of the work in question.
Step 1: Eliminate the Risk of Falling
The most effective way to prevent fall accidents is to remove the risk entirely.
This can be achieved, for example, by:
- Carrying out the work from ground level.
- Using prefabricated solutions.
- Planning the work so that working at height is not required.
This type of measure reduces the risk at the planning stage and is therefore always the preferred approach.
Step 2: Collective Protective Measures
Where it is not possible to eliminate the risk of falling, collective protective measures must be used.
Examples of collective protection include:
- Guard rails.
- Protective coverings over openings.
- Work platforms.
- Scaffolding.
These measures protect everyone present in the area and reduce the risk without being dependent on the actions of the individual.
The Swedish Work Environment Authority's regulations specifically highlight technical protective measures as a central element in preventing falls.
Step 3: Personal Fall Protection Equipment
Personal fall protection equipment must be used where risks of falling cannot be eliminated or sufficiently reduced by other measures.
Read more about personal fall protection equipment.
Since this type of protection depends on correct use, it generally carries a higher level of residual risk than collective protective measures.
Exceptions
The aim is always to minimise risk, and there are therefore situations where it may be justified to use personal fall protection equipment instead of collective protective measures.
Examples of this include:
- Where installing collective protection would itself be more hazardous than carrying out the work using personal fall protection equipment.
- Where the duration of the work is so short that installing collective fall protection would be disproportionate.
Sources and References
AFS 2023:10
Chapter 4, Section 4 [...] Where necessary, the employer shall ensure that appropriate fall protection devices are in place [...].
AFS 2023:11
Chapter 15, Section 4 The employer shall ensure that personal protective equipment is only used where general technical protective measures [...] do not avoid or sufficiently limit a risk. The employer shall prioritise collective protective measures over individual ones.
Annex 2 – Point 4.1.1 [...] Collective protective measures shall take priority over the use of personal protective equipment. [...] The most suitable means of access to a temporary workplace at height shall be selected having regard to the frequency of passage, the height to be negotiated and the duration of use. It must also be possible to evacuate the workplace in an emergency. Movement between access equipment and a platform, scaffold board or gangway must not involve any additional risk of falling.
Annex 2 – Point 4.1.3 Where it is necessary to temporarily remove a collective fall protection device in order to carry out work, other effective fall protection measures shall be taken. The work shall not be carried out until these measures have been implemented. When the work is complete or temporarily suspended, the collective fall protection devices shall be reinstated.