Climbing equipment item by item: the minimum figures and duties the ICoP, SafeWork NSW and WorkSafe NZ list

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The three documents are the Arboricultural Association Industry Code of Practice for Arboriculture: Tree Work at Height, Edition 2 (May 2020), section 3.10.6; the SafeWork NSW Tree works code of practice (March 2026), section 4; and the WorkSafe New Zealand approved code of practice Safety and health in arboriculture, section 3.2. The ICoP is an industry code and not a law. The wording below is our own; the clause numbers say where each statement sits. Country-by-country rules on the same gear are on the guides to climbing lines and lanyards and to connectors and hardware ratings.

Strength figures

Each figure is a minimum breaking strength unless the cell says otherwise, in kilonewtons (kN). SafeWork NSW prints no kilonewton figure in section 4, so it has no column. "No figure" means the code prints none for that item.

Item	ICoP	NZ
Temporary anchor device	18 kN (3.10.6.2)	False crotch: each component 22 kN (definitions)
Climbing rope, new	With a termination 15 kN; without 22 kN (3.10.6.8)	22 kN (3.2.4)
Friction cord or hitch	No figure	Meets the minimum for climbing lines, and cord at least 70 percent of the line diameter (3.2.5)
Connector	22 kN (3.10.6.5)	Carabiners and snap hooks 22 kN (3.2.3)
Lanyard	15 kN (3.10.6.10)	Meets the minimum for climbing lines (3.2.5)
Friction device (descender)	No figure	22 kN, and marked to the standard (definitions)
Other ancillary equipment	No figure	Carabiners, descenders, rings and webbing 22 kN (3.2.9)
Safe working load of a climbing rope	No figure	10 percent of the breaking strength (3.2.4)

Duties by item

Item	What the codes say
Temporary anchor device	ICoP 3.10.6.2: Made to the temporary anchor standard; set up so it cannot slip up or down the stem; connector set to prevent cross-loading and inadvertent opening. NSW: a friction saver or anchor sling reduces friction and rope walking at a junction (4.3). NZ: false crotch has rings or a pulley protecting the line.
Artificial anchor, such as a vehicle	ICoP 3.10.6.2: Enough mass, enough ground resistance, no damage to the anchor, no movement in use. NSW: alternative methods or artificial anchor points where a tree has no suitable natural one (4.3). NZ: no item.
Ascending device	ICoP 3.10.6.3: Compatible with rope diameter and type, easy to adjust, effective grip. NSW: compatible with the rope; self-locking or used with a self-locking device; a backup considered (4.6). NZ: no item.
Backup device	ICoP 3.10.6.4: Shortest possible fall; cannot be inadvertently disconnected; compatible with the rope; little work from the user if trailed. NSW: a secondary attachment on the main line considered when a mechanical ascender is used (4.6). NZ: no item.
Connector	ICoP 3.10.6.5: Only the major axis loaded; a locking mechanism against inadvertent opening and rope roll-out; compatible with the system. NSW: self-locking with two deliberate actions; captive eyes or pins; screw gate not recommended; prevented from rotating on the attachment (4.10). NZ: auto-locking, needing at least three distinct movements to open (3.2.3).
Rope adjustment device	ICoP 3.10.6.6: Grabs positively and reliably at each use; rope as the maker specifies; preference for gradual grab and release. NSW: compatible with the rope; self-locking (4.6). NZ: friction hitch moves freely, activates and holds by itself (3.2.5).
Descending device	ICoP 3.10.6.7: A fall cannot occur by release of a control or by grip position; suits the descent; allows two-person loading for rescue; regulates speed. NSW: automatic braking when the control hand is removed (4.6). NZ: stamped or marked to the standard (definitions).
Climbing rope	ICoP 3.10.6.8: Compatible with neighbouring parts; splices only by the maker or with consent; length for one uninterrupted descent. NSW: made for industrial use; static ropes for access, dynamic for working in the tree (4.2). NZ: designed for tree climbing and free of joining splices or knots (3.2.4).
Harness	ICoP 3.10.6.9: Full range of movement; adjustable; parts replaced only with the maker's authorisation; closures that do not loosen. NSW: waist belt with leg loops or sit strap; not for a free fall over 600 mm (4.4). NZ: conforms to AS/NZS 1891 or an equivalent (3.2.6).
Lanyard	ICoP 3.10.6.10: Compatible connectors; adjustable under load; attached to prevent torsion or cross-loading. NSW: length stop built in; no wire core in an electrical environment; webbing retired on visible cuts (4.5). NZ: means to stop the friction hitch slipping off the end (3.2.2).
Lowering device	ICoP 3.10.6.11: Rated for the loads including dynamic loading; matched to the technique and to the rope against the tube or bollard diameter; does not slip excessively. NSW: no item. NZ: tackle blocks and pulleys inspected before use (3.4.6).
Pulley, block or trolley	ICoP 3.10.6.12: Sheave and cheek plates fit the rope; connection prevents misconfiguration; cheek plates cannot open inadvertently. NSW: no item. NZ: tackle blocks and connecting links inspected before use (3.4.6).
Sling or strop	ICoP 3.10.6.13: Connection prevents release; safe working load known; material suits the use. NSW: no item. NZ: strops anchoring winches or pulling blocks at least 1.5 times the safe working load of the pulling rope (3.4.6).

General specification in the ICoP

Clause 3.10.6.1 applies to every component of a personal fall protection system. It lists seven points: each item rated for the operator's mass including worn equipment; the environment and the effects of dirt and debris considered; components compatible with no inadvertent opening; each item identifiable and traceable to the maker, product name, construction and examination records; manufacture against validated performance criteria; independent verification by a notified or approved body where applicable; and use as the maker guides on application, configuration and compatibility.

Where the sources differ or are silent

The three codes do not use the same measure. The ICoP gives a minimum breaking strength of 15 kN for a rope with a termination and 22 kN for rope without one, and for a lanyard 15 kN. WorkSafe NZ gives 22 kN for a climbing line when new and also defines a safe working load as 10 percent of breaking strength. SafeWork NSW prints no kilonewton figure in section 4. It refers instead to the Australian and New Zealand standards AS/NZS 1891.1:2020, AS/NZS 1891.4:2025 and AS/NZS ISO 22846.1:2020, which this page does not quote. For connectors the NSW code says screw gate connectors are not recommended, while the ICoP asks for a locking mechanism without naming a type. The Health and Safety Executive page on lifting equipment in arboriculture adds that in rope access and work positioning a karabiner with a 3-way action gate is used at the main attachment point between rope and harness, and that a written weekly inspection record is kept for high-wear items such as ropes.

Credits

The SafeWork NSW Tree works code of practice is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. WorkSafe New Zealand is credited as the source of its code. Contains public sector information published by the Health and Safety Executive and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The ICoP is the copyright of the Arboricultural Association and is described here in our own words.