Anchor Point Testing & Certification Melbourne
Roof anchors, static lines and fall-arrest systems — inspection, testing and recertification to AS/NZS 1891.4, delivered by technicians who hang off these systems every working day. Tagged, registered and photo-reported after every inspection.
If anyone connects to your anchors, they must be current.
Every anchor point on your roof carries the same obligation: it must be inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding 12 months under AS/NZS 1891.4, and it must carry a current tag before anyone clips onto it. Window cleaners, maintenance crews and rope-access contractors are entitled to refuse to connect to an untagged or overdue anchor — and the competent ones will. For building managers and owners corporations, a lapsed anchor register doesn't just create risk; it stops every trade that needs the roof.
360 Access provides inspection, testing and recertification to AS/NZS 1891.4 for anchor points, static lines and fall-arrest systems across Melbourne. Anchors under heavy use — abseil points on rolling cleaning programmes, and BMU tie-back or restraint anchors — move to a six-monthly cycle, reflecting the loads and frequency they actually see. And because our rope-access technicians depend on anchor systems daily, the person testing your anchors is assessing them the way a user does, not ticking a checklist from the catalogue. Where a building needs new points rather than testing of existing ones, our height safety systems team designs and installs the system, then hands it straight into the same inspection cycle.
Inspect, test, recertify — on a cycle that never lapses.
Inspect
- Visual and physical condition of every point
- Fixings, torque and substrate integrity
- Corrosion, cracking and movement checks
Test
- Proof-load testing to the applicable standard
- Method matched to anchor type and substrate
- Static lines and rail systems included
Recertify
- Tag on every compliant anchor
- Full register with unique IDs
- Photo-evidenced report, next due date set
What actually gets checked on each anchor.
An anchor inspection is more than a glance and a sticker. Each point on the register gets a defined sequence:
- Identification and history. The anchor is matched to the register by its unique ID. Type, manufacturer, installation detail and previous inspection results are confirmed before anything is tested.
- Visual and physical examination. Corrosion, cracking of the surrounding substrate, deformation of the eye or stem, damage to protective coatings, and any evidence the anchor has arrested a fall or been overloaded since last inspection.
- Fixing check. Bolt torque, chemical anchor condition, and movement between the anchor and the structure. An anchor is only as strong as what it's fixed to — membrane and substrate condition around the base is part of the check.
- Proof-load testing. Where the anchor type and standard require it, the point is proof-loaded with calibrated equipment to verify it will hold the rated load — single-person fall-arrest anchors in Australia are rated to 15 kN. A test that isn't measured and recorded isn't a test.
- Tagging. Compliant anchors are tagged with the inspection date and next due date. Failed anchors are tagged out of service on the spot, marked on the register and photographed — never left ambiguous.
Delivered after every inspection — not on request.
Every inspection closes out with a photo-evidenced report issued to the building manager or owners corporation. It contains the anchor register (every point, unique ID, location), pass/fail status per anchor, photographs of each point, defects and recommendations, the test method applied, and the date the next inspection falls due. When a contractor's safety officer, an insurer or an auditor asks for evidence the system is current, this is the document you hand over.
It's the same reporting discipline we apply to façade inspection reports: findings you can act on, photographs that prove them, and a register that survives a change of building manager. For the wider picture of who carries the duty for height safety on Victorian buildings — and what happens when it's neglected — see our height safety compliance guide.
No records? Start from a full survey, not a guess.
Plenty of Melbourne buildings have anchors on the roof and nothing on file — the installer is long gone, the register left with a previous manager, or the tags have weathered off. The rule in that situation is simple: an anchor with no verifiable history is treated as uncertified until it's tested. Nobody should be connecting to it in the meantime.
Our lapsed-anchor recovery process rebuilds the system's paperwork from the ground up. We survey the roof and façade and map every anchor, static line and rail; identify each anchor type and its fixing detail; inspect and proof-load test every point; re-tag what passes and tag out what fails; then issue a new register and report so the building starts a clean 12-month cycle. If the survey finds gaps — elevations with no compliant access, or anchors in the wrong positions for the work the building actually needs — we scope the remedial installation through our height safety systems service rather than leaving you with a report and no path forward.
Until the permanent system is certified, work at height doesn't have to stop: our technicians can rig temporary anchor systems and engineered structural connections to keep cleaning, inspection and maintenance moving while the recovery is under way.
Anchor testing FAQs
How often must anchor points be tested?
AS/NZS 1891.4 requires anchorages to be inspected at intervals not exceeding 12 months. Anchors under heavy use — abseil anchors on rolling window-cleaning programmes, and BMU tie-back or restraint anchors — should be inspected six-monthly. Every anchor is also inspected by the user before each use.
What happens if our anchors are overdue?
An overdue anchor cannot be relied on and competent contractors will refuse to connect to it, which stalls window cleaning, maintenance and remedial work until the system is re-inspected. The fix is straightforward: we inspect and test the system, re-tag every compliant point, document any failures, and issue a current report so work at height can resume.
What is in the inspection report?
A register of every anchor with its unique tag ID and location, pass or fail status, photographs of each point, defects and recommendations, the test method applied, and the next inspection due date. It's issued after every inspection — the document you produce when a contractor, insurer or auditor asks whether the system is current.
Can you access a roof or façade that has no certified anchors?
Yes. Our rope-access technicians can rig from temporary anchor systems and engineered structural connections, so cleaning, inspection and maintenance can proceed while the permanent system is surveyed, tested or installed.
When were your anchors last tested?
Send us the building address and whatever records you have — even if that's none. We'll respond within one business day.
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