European and national framework
European law, national implementation.
The duty to provide collective rooftop edge protection is anchored in European law and in the national legislation of every member state. The directives are the same — terminology and enforcement body differ. NFA Safety Group supplies the statutory basis per country with its quotation documents.
Occupational health & safety
Directive 89/391/EEC
EU Framework Directive on Safety and Health at Work
Foundation of the STOP principle in all EU member states. Requires employers to combat risks at source — collective measures take priority over individual measures.
Directive 2001/45/EC
Working at height — temporary and mobile work
Amendment of Directive 89/655/EEC. Requires employers to prioritise collective protective measures over PPE when working at height.
Directive 92/57/EEC
Temporary and mobile construction sites
Health and safety coordination mandatory. Designers and contractors share joint responsibility for incorporating safety provisions — including rooftop edge protection — at the design stage.
Regulation (EU) 2016/425
PPE Regulation — personal protective equipment
Governs CE certification of harnesses, lanyards and anchor points. Confirms that PPE is the last resort — applicable only after collective measures have been ruled out.
Construction, products & standards
Regulation (EU) 305/2011 — CPR
Construction Products Regulation
Governs CE marking of permanently installed fall protection products such as guardrail. Manufacturers must issue a Declaration of Performance (DoP); installers are responsible for correct application within the declared scope.
Regulation (EU) 2023/1230
Machinery Regulation — replacing Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC
Applicable from 20 January 2027. Until then, Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC applies. Always verify which regime governs product certification at the time of delivery.
Transition period until 20-01-2027EN 13374:2025
Temporary edge protection systems — classes A/B/C
Maximum intended service life: 6 months. Applying a system outside its declared scope (e.g. as a permanent installation) invalidates CE conformity and substantially increases liability exposure for manufacturer and installer.
EN 1990:2025 + EN 1991-1-4:2011
Eurocodes — permanent systems
Permanent rooftop edge protection systems require a project-specific wind load calculation in accordance with EN 1991-1-4. Generic manufacturer data is not sufficient for building permit applications.
Per country
Only countries whose provisions have been verified against the primary legal text are listed. Others follow as soon as the dossier is complete.
Belgium
Federal OHS framework + regional building codes — trilingual enforcement system
Enforcement: Toezicht op het Welzijn op het Werk / Contrôle du Bien-être au Travail (TWW/CBE)
Country page →
Danmark
Risk-assessment-first regime with graded height thresholds (3.5 m / 2 m) under the Arbejdsmiljøloven, enforced by Arbejdstilsynet
Enforcement: Arbejdstilsynet
Country page →
Luxembourg
Risk-based test with no numeric height gate — RGD 1994/2004 requires collective protection before PPE
Enforcement: Inspection du travail et des mines (ITM)
Country page →
Netherlands
Dutch implementation — one of the most fully developed enforcement frameworks in Europe
Enforcement: Dutch Labour Inspectorate (NLA)
Country page →
Polska
Labour Code + specialist construction safety decrees — active enforcement framework
Enforcement: Państwowa Inspekcja Pracy (PIP) — National Labour Inspectorate
Country page →
United Kingdom
No minimum height threshold — WAHR 2005 gives collective protection statutory priority over PPE
Enforcement: Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
Country page →
In preparation
Germany, France, Switzerland and Sweden: dossier under verification. Request the draft justification through the contact form.
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