A number of significant changes were made to BS EN 1263-1 & 2 in 2014 with the revision of the 2002 version. FASET contributed to the revision from the very start and will be leading the revision of BS EN 8411.

BS EN 1263-1
The principal changes which appear in the 2014 revision are:

• Although not applicable to the UK, Figure 4, showing Class V (gallows) Safety Nets has been replaced with an updated illustration
• Table 2 now details the characteristics for a ‘W’ rope with a Minimal Tensile Strength of 20kN, used as a border rope for fan net systems
• Clause 5.1 – Designation – Net of the 2002 revision has been removed as the standard duplicated itself
• Clause 5.2 – Designation – Rope now includes a requirement for the ropes designation to include its denomination in accordance with Table 2. Previously, the standard required a rope to be marked to a Class.
• Clause 7 – Test Methods has seen a complete revision, incorporating a description of a new vertical test rig and new figures for the mesh samples. This change effects the manufacturers of nets rather than the installers and includes a revision of the dimensional inspection of the mesh size.
• Figures 9 & 10 from the 2002 revision have been replaced and now appear in Clause 7.7.4.2 – Interpretation of the results.

These changes are only relevant to manufacturers.