Comparison between collective protective systems in Brazil: safety platforms and safety net type V

Abstract

Safety planning is fundamental for accident prevention in the construction industry. The prevention of the risk of accidents in construction must begin during the project development phase through the principles of safe work. Designing minimizing the risk should always be the goal from the first stages of any conception, including designing components or protection systems for construction. The implementation of collective protective systems (CPS) acting as barriers must be professionally designed, detailed, and executed. This article compares two types of collective protective used in Brazil—secondary platforms and the fall arrest system with safety nets, focusing on the building periphery and mitigating the risk of falling from a height. The research method includes the technical visits in two construction sites and the analysis of two CPS designs. The comparison between collective protection systems identified that the system with safety nets better meets standardization criteria and legislation. The analysis of the designs showed a lack of technical information for the execution of the CPS and that it is necessary to make comparisons for decision-making on the existing collective protection systems. The repetition of this approach in countries that use solutions like Brazil can help avoid falls from height.