Climbing gear standards by item: harness, lanyard, rope, connector, device, anchor and sling across countries
One list of the standards that exist for each kind of climbing and rigging gear, set against the four places they come from: BSI in Europe and the United Kingdom, the UIAA, OSHA and ASSP in the United States, and the Australian and New Zealand codes.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It only lists standard numbers, titles and status as the publisher prints them. No standard text is reproduced. The longer register of tree work standards, grouped by publisher, is on the guide to tree work standards and editions, and the personal protective equipment rows are on the PPE standards matrix.
In the tables, "None listed" means the page read for that column lists no standard for the item. "None named" means the SafeWork NSW code and the WorkSafe New Zealand code name no standard for it. Neither phrase says no standard exists anywhere.
Item by item
Numbers only. BSI numbers are the EN numbers its British Standards carry. UIAA numbers are the UIAA's own. The ASSP column is the Z359 part. The AS/NZS 1891 part for harnesses is in the table for Australia and New Zealand further down.
| Item | BSI | UIAA | ASSP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchor device | EN 795 | None listed | Z359.18 |
| Climbing rope, low stretch | EN 1891 | 101, 107 | None listed |
| Connector | EN 362, EN 12275 | 121 | Z359.12 |
| Descender | None listed | 129 | Z359.9 |
| Energy absorber | EN 355 | 128 | Z359.13 |
| Full body harness | EN 361 | 105 | Z359.11 |
| Lanyard | EN 354 | 109 | Z359.3 |
| Pulley | EN 12278 | 127 | None listed |
| Rope adjuster | EN 12841 | None listed | None listed |
| Rope clamp | EN 567 | 126 | None listed |
| Sit harness | EN 813 | 105 | None listed |
| Sling | EN 566 | 103, 104 | None listed |
| Positioning belt, lanyard | EN 358 | None listed | Z359.3 |
Europe and the United Kingdom: BSI
BSI Knowledge prints each of these as identical to the EN of the same number, and lists the status shown on October 9, 2026 and the published date. Each standard number links to its BSI page.
| Item | Standard, title and BSI status |
|---|---|
| Anchor device | BS EN 795:2012, Personal fall protection equipment. Anchor devices. Current, Under Review. Published August 31, 2012. |
| Climbing rope, low stretch | BS EN 1891:1998, Personal protective equipment for the prevention of falls from a height. Low stretch kernmantel ropes. Current, Under Review. Published September 15, 1998. |
| Connector, fall protection | BS EN 362:2004, Personal protective equipment against falls from a height. Connectors. Current. Published December 9, 2004. |
| Connector, mountaineering | BS EN 12275:2013, Mountaineering equipment. Connectors. Safety requirements and test methods. Current. Published April 30, 2013. |
| Energy absorber | BS EN 355:2002, Personal protective equipment against falls from a height. Energy absorbers. Current. Published July 4, 2002. |
| Full body harness | BS EN 361:2002, Personal protective equipment against falls from a height. Full body harnesses. Current, Under Review. Published July 4, 2002. |
| Lanyard | BS EN 354:2010, Personal fall protection equipment. Lanyards. Current. Published April 30, 2011. |
| Pulley | BS EN 12278:2007, Mountaineering equipment. Pulleys. Safety requirements and test methods. Current, Under Review. Published September 28, 2007. |
| Rope adjustment device | BS EN 12841:2024, Personal fall protection equipment. Rope access systems. Rope adjustment devices. Current, Under Review. Published March 31, 2024. |
| Rope clamp | BS EN 567:2013, Mountaineering equipment. Rope clamps. Safety requirements and test methods. Current. Published April 30, 2013. |
| Sit harness | BS EN 813:2024, Personal fall protection equipment. Sit harnesses. Current. Published March 31, 2024. |
| Sling | BS EN 566:2017, Mountaineering equipment. Slings. Safety requirements and test methods. Current, Under Review. Published March 31, 2017. |
| Work positioning belt and lanyard | BS EN 358:2018, Personal protective equipment for work positioning and prevention of falls from a height. Belts and lanyards for work positioning or restraint. Current. Published December 31, 2018. |
United States: OSHA and ASSP
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.140 is the federal rule on personal fall protection systems. It defines terms and sets figures but does not name product standards. The ANSI/ASSP Z359 family is the voluntary set of product and system standards, and ASSP lists the parts below on its Z359 page. OSHA tells readers that ANSI standards are voluntary and that compliance with them does not ensure compliance with OSHA policy, on its tree care standards page.
| Item | OSHA 1910.140 | ANSI/ASSP |
|---|---|---|
| Anchor | Defines anchorage as a secure point of attachment for lifelines, lanyards or deceleration devices. Requires anchorages to support at least 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) per employee, or to be part of a system with a safety factor of at least two (c)(13). | Z359.18 Anchorage Connectors for Active Fall Protection Systems |
| Connector | Defines connector, carabiner and snaphook. Says opening a snaphook takes two separate actions, and treats automatic-locking snaphooks as permitted and non-locking ones as prohibited. | Z359.12 Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems |
| Descender | No separate entry. Defines deceleration device as any mechanism that serves to dissipate energy during a fall. | Z359.9 Descent Controllers |
| Energy absorber | Names energy absorbers within the D-ring definition. Limits maximum arresting force in a personal fall arrest system to 1,800 pounds (8 kN) (d)(1)(i). | Z359.13 Energy Absorbers and Energy Absorbing Lanyards |
| Harness | Defines body harness as straps that spread fall arrest forces over at least the thighs, pelvis, waist, chest and shoulders. | Z359.11 Full Body Harnesses |
| Lanyard | Defines lanyard as a flexible line of rope, wire rope or strap that generally has a connector at each end. Sets a minimum breaking strength of 5,000 pounds (22.2 kN) for lanyards and vertical lifelines (c)(4). | Z359.3 Lanyards and Positioning Lanyards |
| Rope or lifeline | Defines lifeline, vertical or horizontal, and rope grab as a deceleration device that travels on a lifeline and locks by friction. | Z359.15 Single Anchor Lifelines and Fall Arresters for Personal Fall Arrest Systems; Z459.1 Rope Access Systems |
The UIAA list
The UIAA says it began making safety standards in 1960 with rope testing and has made standards for over 25 types of equipment. It says it works with CEN, the European Committee for Standardization, and that in some cases it asks for extra tests that make its standard stricter than the CEN one. The numbers below are the ones on its list that match the items on this page.
| Number | Name on the list | EN standard |
|---|---|---|
| UIAA 101 | Ropes | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 102 | Accessory cord | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 103 | Tape | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 104 | Slings | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 105 | Harnesses | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 107 | Low stretch ropes | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 109 | Belay lanyards | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 121 | Connectors | UIAA 121 names EN 12275:2013 |
| UIAA 126 | Rope clamps | UIAA 126 names EN 567:2013 |
| UIAA 127 | Pulleys | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 128 | Energy absorbing systems | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 129 | Braking device | No EN standard named on the list page |
| UIAA 130 | Load sharing devices | No EN standard named on the list page |
Two of the standards themselves are open on the UIAA site. UIAA 121 for connectors, version 4 of February 2018, says it is based on EN 12275:2013 and adds an extra strength requirement for type K connectors loaded over an edge. UIAA 126 for rope clamps, third edition of May 2026, says it is based on EN 567:2013 and adds a requirement for rope clamps used for self-belaying. Both say the UIAA Safety Label is granted only after the UIAA approves a maker's application, and that a labelled item carries the UIAA trademark or the letters UIAA. The UIAA keeps its own list of climbing equipment recalls and warnings.
Australia and New Zealand
The table lists the climbing and fall protection standards the two codes name, and SafeWork NSW prints the titles below. Both codes name other standards too, for helmets, eye protection and leg protection, which are not listed here.
| Standard | Title as printed | Where it is named |
|---|---|---|
| AS/NZS 1891.1:2020 | Personal equipment for work at height. Manufacturing requirements for full body combination and lower body harnesses | SafeWork NSW tree works code, March 2026, sections 4.1 and 4.4 and the PPE table |
| AS/NZS 1891.4:2025 | Personal equipment for work at height. Selection, use and maintenance | SafeWork NSW tree works code, sections 4.1 and 4.4 and the PPE table |
| AS/NZS ISO 22846.1:2020 | Personal equipment for protection against falls. Rope access systems. Fundamental principles for a system of work | SafeWork NSW tree works code, section 4.1 |
| AS/NZS 1891 Standards | Named without a part number | WorkSafe New Zealand arboriculture code, section 3.2.6: harnesses conform to the relevant AS/NZS 1891 Standards or equivalent |
Sources
- BSI Knowledge, BS EN 361:2002 full body harnesses and the other BS EN pages linked in the table, read October 9, 2026
- BSI Knowledge, BS EN 567:2013 rope clamps, read October 9, 2026
- ASSP, ANSI/ASSP Z359 fall protection and fall restraint standards, read October 9, 2026
- OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.140 personal fall protection systems, read October 9, 2026
- OSHA, Tree care industry standards, read October 9, 2026
- UIAA, Safety standards list, read October 9, 2026
- UIAA, UIAA 121 Connectors, version 4, February 2018, read October 9, 2026
- UIAA, UIAA 126 Rope clamps, third edition, May 2026, read October 9, 2026
- UIAA, Climbing equipment recalls and warnings, read October 9, 2026
- SafeWork NSW, Tree works code of practice, March 2026, read October 9, 2026
- WorkSafe New Zealand, Safety and health in arboriculture approved code of practice, read October 9, 2026