Construction Safety Nets – EN 1263-1 System S

Standards and classification

EN 1263-1 is the European product standard for safety nets. It defines four net systems and four energy classes. System S is a safety net with a border rope, used horizontally and fixed directly to the structure. System T is a net on brackets, System U a net fixed to a supporting frame for vertical use, and System V a net hung from gallows-type supports. You can read how the four systems differ in our guide to EN 1263 safety net systems.

The energy class tells you how much energy the net absorbs and how large the mesh may be. Classes A1 and A2 absorb at least 2.3 kJ; classes B1 and B2 absorb at least 4.4 kJ. The number gives the maximum mesh size: 1 means up to 60 mm, 2 means up to 100 mm. A typical construction safety net is therefore labelled EN 1263-1 – S – B2 – Q100 – 5 × 10 m: System S, class B2, square mesh of 100 mm, net size 5 by 10 metres.

Installation and use are covered by EN 1263-2. It sets the maximum fall height into the net, the minimum catching width beyond the working edge, the anchor spacing and the clearance needed below the net. Plan these values before you order, because they decide the net size and the number of anchor points.

How a System S net is built

Each AGS construction safety net is made from knotless netting. Knotless construction has no knots to slip or create hard points, so the mesh keeps its shape and the load spreads evenly across the net when it catches a person. The netting is cut to size and finished with a border rope threaded through every edge mesh. The border rope carries the load to the anchor points and must have a breaking strength of at least 30 kN.

Test meshes are tied into the net during manufacture. They are made from the same twine and are removed one at a time during periodic inspections so a laboratory can confirm that the netting still absorbs enough energy after months of exposure to sunlight and weather.

Every net carries a permanent label with the manufacturer, the standard designation, the net size, the mesh size and the year and month of manufacture. Keep the label readable: without it, a net cannot be traced or re-inspected.

Sizing the net for your project

System S nets are installed as large horizontal panels. EN 1263-1 sets a minimum net size for System S (35 m², with a shortest side of at least 5 m), which is why the standard panel sizes start at 5 × 7 m. For long slabs or bridge decks, several nets are installed side by side and joined with coupling ropes so the protected area has no gaps.

When you request a quote, send us the following and we will propose net sizes, the class and the quantity of ropes:

• the plan dimensions of the area to protect, or a drawing (PDF or DWG);
• the maximum fall height from the working level into the net;
• the type of structure available for anchoring (steel beams, concrete slab, formwork);
• whether small materials must also be retained, in which case we add a debris liner;
• the preferred colour and the delivery location.

Safety nets and other fall protection

A safety net is a collective protection measure: it protects everyone working above it without relying on each person to clip on a harness correctly. In most countries health and safety rules ask employers to prefer collective measures, such as guardrails and nets, over personal fall protection. Nets also allow workers to move freely, which makes them practical on steel erection, roofing and formwork where harness anchor points are hard to find.

Nets are often combined with other measures. Guardrails or System U edge protection nets stop falls at open edges, debris nets catch tools and small objects, and System V nets protect the floors of high-rise frames as they rise.

Why buy from AGS

AGS Ağ File Sanayi manufactures netting in Türkiye and finishes safety nets to order. Because we produce the netting, the ropes and the finished nets ourselves, we can match the net size, colour and border rope to your project and supply private label nets to distributors and rental companies. Every net is labelled and packed individually, and the technical data sheet and declaration of conformity are supplied with each order.