How to choose scaffold nets: fall protection or dust control?

Before looking at the mesh, decide what job the net has to do. To stop a person who falls you need a certified fall-protection net, such as the UNI EN 1263 safety nets from Reti Brembo. To enclose a scaffold against dust and small debris, a dust net is enough, which has no safety function. The material is polyethylene or high-tenacity polypropylene, with a UV additive if the net stays exposed to the sun for months.

Types

• Fall-protection nets. They have a safety function: they are used to catch anyone who falls from floors, roofs or scaffolding. They can be recognised by their certification and the reinforced perimeter edging. Example: the Safety Net by Pasini Reti.
• Scaffold nets. Sheets stretched across the scaffold façade to close off the site from the street and protect people passing below.
• Dust nets. Used to retain dust and small fragments during demolition and façade work.
• Cover nets. Sheets for covering or protecting structures, such as the nets for biogas plants.
• Suspended nets and design nets. Versions for special applications: describe the project to the technicians, because the choice depends on the case.
• Floating nets. They contain debris on water, like the floating nets for debris containment.

The collection also includes nets for uses outside the construction site, such as those for drones or catamarans. The selection logic stays the same: function, mesh, material. There are also fixing accessories, including stainless steel plates.

How to choose for the job

If your case does not fall into these rows, describe the structure, height and required function to the AMES technicians: the net should be chosen for the job, not from the catalogue.

Features to look at

• Material. The collection includes polyethylene, H.D. polyethylene with UV additive, high-tenacity polyethylene and H.T. polypropylene. For nets that stay outdoors for months, the UV additive matters, because the sun degrades the fibres.
• Mesh. Square knotted 100 mm or square knotless 60 or 100 mm. Read the data sheet of the individual item: the mesh is part of the safety data.
• Twine diameter. In the data it ranges from 1.5 to 10 mm. Thin twine makes light nets for marking off; thick twine is for where the net works under load.
• Edging. Reinforced perimeter edging of 6 or 10 mm, or 10 mm reinforcing braid. It is the part the ties are fastened to, so it must be stronger than the rest of the net.
• Colour. White, green, blue, black or red, depending on the item.
• Sizes. Many nets are made to measure: bring the real dimensions of the scaffold, not approximate ones.

Common mistakes

• Using a dust net as fall protection. A sheet that stops dust is not made to hold a person.
• Tying at too few points. The net must be fixed along the whole perimeter with ties, ropes or hooks at regular intervals, leaving no gaps.
• Forgetting the UV additive on long-running sites: after a season in the sun the fibres degrade.
• Not inspecting the net. Cuts, broken meshes or signs of sun degradation must be looked for periodically, and a damaged net must be replaced.
• Ordering sizes by eye. A net that is too short leaves gaps on the scaffold; a net that is too long bunches up.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a fall-protection net and a scaffold net?

A fall-protection net has a safety function and must be certified. A scaffold net or dust net closes off and protects towards the outside, but is not designed to stop a fall.

Which standard should I look for in a fall-protection net?

Fall-protection safety nets refer to UNI EN 1263, which you will find in the name of some items in the collection.

Is knotted or knotless mesh better?

The collection includes both. For a net with a safety function, the item's certification matters more than the type of mesh itself.

When should a net be replaced?

When it shows cuts, broken meshes or sun degradation. A damaged fall-protection net must not be kept in service.

Can I get a made-to-measure net?

For many items, yes: the data lists the made-to-measure option. State the height and length of the scaffold.

You will find all the nets in the Scaffold nets collection: if you have doubts about size or certification, ask the AMES technicians for a quote or advice.