Facade Access & Anchor Systems

Every façade that needs cleaning, inspecting, or repairing needs a safe way to reach it — and once a building is more than a couple of storeys tall, that means a permanent height-safety system. Roof anchor points, static lines, davit arms, and abseil (rope access) rigging are what allow window cleaners, inspectors, and remedial trades to work over the edge without risking a fall. When those systems are missing, uncertified, or corroded, routine maintenance either stops or becomes dangerous.

This is a compliance issue as much as a safety one. Under NSW work health and safety law, the owners corporation has duties as the person conducting a business or undertaking in relation to the building, and anyone engaging contractors to work at height must provide a safe system for them to do so. In practice that means anchor and access systems have to be correctly designed, installed, certified, labelled, and re-tested on a defined cycle — not simply bolted on and forgotten.

Across Sydney's strata portfolio we regularly find buildings where the only anchors are the original builder's fixings, never recertified, or where there is no compliant access provision at all — so every façade task requires an expensive one-off scaffold or elevated work platform. A properly designed permanent system pays for itself over the building's maintenance life and removes a serious liability from the owners corporation.

Our Process

1. Access Strategy & Risk Assessment
2. We assess the building's geometry, the maintenance tasks it needs to support — window cleaning, façade inspection, remedial works — and the safest access method for each. The goal is a system matched to how the building will actually be maintained, not a generic set of anchors.
3. System Design to Standard
4. Systems are designed to the relevant Australian Standards: AS 1657 for fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders, and AS/NZS 5532 for the manufacturing requirements of single-point and rigid-rail anchor devices. Height-safety design also references the WHS Regulation and the safe-work-at-height code of practice.
5. Substrate Verification & Fixing Design
6. Anchor loads have to go somewhere. We verify that the concrete or structural substrate can carry the design loads and detail fixings accordingly, with concrete fixing design referencing AS 3600 (Concrete Structures). Where the structure is inadequate, we design a suitable spreader or backing detail.
7. Installation & Waterproofing of Penetrations
8. Anchors, brackets, davit bases, and static lines are installed to the manufacturer's specification. Every roof or façade penetration is flashed and sealed so the new safety system does not become a new leak path.
9. Load Testing & Certification
10. Installed anchors are proof-load tested and the completed system is certified and tagged. We provide the compliance documentation, an as-installed layout, and the certification records the owners corporation needs for its files and for contractors to rely on.
11. Handover & Recertification Schedule
12. We hand over a user plan showing where anchors are, what method each supports, and the mandatory recertification interval — anchor systems require periodic re-inspection and re-testing — so the building stays compliant year on year.

Key Considerations

• Certification Is Ongoing, Not One-Off – Anchor systems must be periodically re-inspected and re-tested to stay compliant. An uncertified or lapsed anchor is a legal and safety liability.
• The Fixing Depends on the Structure – An anchor is only as strong as what it is fixed to. Substrate capacity has to be verified, not assumed, before any load is placed on it.
• Every Penetration Is a Potential Leak – Roof and façade anchors puncture the waterproofing line. Correct flashing and sealing at each fixing is essential to avoid trading a safety fix for a water problem.

Value to the Client

• Provides a safe, compliant way to maintain the façade for its whole life.
• Discharges the owners corporation's work-at-height safety duties to contractors.
• Removes the recurring cost of one-off scaffold or EWP hire for routine tasks.
• Delivers full certification and documentation for strata records and insurers.
• Keeps penetrations watertight so the safety system doesn't cause leaks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does our strata building legally need a height-safety anchor system?

If your building has a façade or roof that needs to be cleaned, inspected, or maintained at height — which almost all multi-storey buildings do — then whoever engages contractors to do that work has a duty under NSW WHS law to provide a safe system for working at height. In practice, a permanent certified anchor or access system is the standard way owners corporations meet that duty. Without one, contractors are either forced to bring their own temporary access at higher cost, or the work simply doesn't get done safely. It is both a compliance obligation and a practical necessity.

How often do anchor points need to be re-certified?

Height-safety anchor systems require periodic re-inspection and re-testing by a competent person to remain certified — commonly on an annual cycle, though the exact interval depends on the system, its exposure, and manufacturer requirements. Certification is not a one-time event at installation: an anchor that has not been recertified within its interval should not be relied upon and exposes the owners corporation to liability. We hand over a clear recertification schedule and can carry out the ongoing testing.

What is the difference between roof anchors, davits, and abseil systems?

They are different tools for different access needs. Fixed roof anchors and static lines provide fall arrest or restraint for people working near an edge or on a roof. Davit arms are rotating jib supports that allow a suspended platform or bosun's chair to be rigged over the edge for façade work. Abseil (rope access) systems use certified anchors to let trained technicians descend the façade on ropes — efficient for inspection and lighter remedial tasks. We assess which combination suits your building's height, geometry, and maintenance tasks rather than defaulting to one type.

Can you install anchors without causing roof or façade leaks?

Yes — but only if the penetrations are detailed properly, which is exactly where many cheap installs fail. Every anchor bolted through a roof or wall breaches the waterproofing line, so each fixing has to be flashed and sealed as a designed waterproofing detail, not just caulked over. Because we work as a remedial builder, waterproofing the penetration is treated as part of the job, not an afterthought. Done correctly, a permanent anchor system adds no leak risk to the building.

Which Australian Standards apply to façade access and anchor systems?

The two most directly relevant are AS 1657, which covers fixed platforms, walkways, stairways and ladders and the design of permanent access, and AS/NZS 5532, which sets the manufacturing and testing requirements for single-point and rigid-rail anchor devices used for harness-based work. Installation and use also sit under the NSW WHS Regulation and the associated code of practice for managing the risk of falls at workplaces, and concrete fixing design references AS 3600. We design, install, and certify to these requirements and document compliance for your records.

Related Services

• Balustrade & External Fixture Remediation – Remediate and certify balustrades and other safety-critical external fixings.
• Concrete & Structural Repairs – Verify and repair the concrete substrate that anchor fixings load into.
• Waterproofing Remediation – Ensure every anchor and access penetration is flashed and sealed against water ingress.
• Building Investigations & Reporting – Assess existing anchors and substrate condition before designing a new access system.
• Facade Remediation & Upgrades – Explore our full façade remediation capability across every elevation and defect type.