In Painting and Decorating, Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems are a common way to work at height - and a common source of falls when they are misused. This guide explains how Painting and Decorating teams in Ireland use Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems safely, and why a Working at Heights Course ties it all together.
Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems in Painting and Decorating: where the risk lies
A decorator coating a high stairwell, where a tower is the safe choice but a ladder is the tempting shortcut. Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems are suited to collective fall mitigation during roof and steel work where a fall cannot be fully prevented, but in a Painting and Decorating setting the margin for error is small.
Pre-use checks for Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems
Before any Painting and Decorating worker uses Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems, confirm that:
- The area beneath is clear
- Nets are undamaged and in date
- Nets are rigged by competent riggers
- Anchorage is sound
The relevant standard here is EN 1263, rigged by trained net riggers as close beneath the work as practicable.
Common Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems faults to never ignore
- Excessive fall height
- Poor anchorage
- Gaps in coverage
- Untrained rigging
Painting is classic short-duration, high-frequency height work where overreaching from ladders causes most incidents.
The Working at Heights Course makes compliance simple
Here is the good news: getting compliant is fast and inexpensive. Our Working at Heights Course is delivered fully online, takes about 45 minutes, and issues a downloadable certificate the same day. It is CPD certified, RoSPA approved and QQI aligned, and it is written specifically for Painting and Decorating teams using Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems.
The Working at Heights Training covers the avoid-prevent-minimise hierarchy, ladder and stepladder safety, MEWPs and scaffolds, harnesses and anchor points, and how to carry out a proper risk assessment. Every learner finishes with a recognised Working at Heights Certificate that stands up to HSA inspection and supports your insurance position.
Training that goes beyond the tick-box
Weather turns a routine job into a dangerous one faster than anything else in Ireland. Wind, rain, frost and poor light all raise the risk of Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems in Painting and Decorating, and the right call is often to stop and reassess rather than push on. Knowing where that line sits is part of being properly trained.
The most expensive mistake employers make with Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems in Painting and Decorating is treating training as a box-ticking exercise. The Health and Safety Authority does not just want a certificate on file; it wants evidence that the worker understood the avoid-prevent-minimise hierarchy and applied it on the day. A genuine Working at Heights Course builds that understanding, which is exactly why our online programme uses real scenarios rather than slides.
Frequently asked questions
Do Painting and Decorating workers need training to use Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems?
Yes. Safe use of Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems is part of working at height. A Working at Heights Course covers selection, inspection and safe use for Painting and Decorating tasks.
How often should Safety Nets and Soft-Landing Systems be inspected?
Before every use by the operator, plus formal recorded inspections to the relevant standard. Keep the logs for HSA inspection.
Is online training enough for Painting and Decorating height work?
Our online Working at Heights Training covers the legal and safe-system knowledge; equipment-specific practical tickets (such as IPAF or PASMA) are added where the task requires them.
Get certified today
Do not wait for an HSA inspection or a near miss to act. Painting and Decorating teams can complete the Working at Heights Course online in 45 minutes and download a certificate the same day. For 10 or more learners, see our team training rates, or contact our team for a tailored quote.
Start the online Working at Heights Training now and put a recognised certificate in every worker's file before the next job at height begins.
