Finalist 2024

Kattsafe Rigid Stealth Rail System

Tricycle Developments / Kattsafe

The Kattsafe Rigid Stealth Rail system offers uninterrupted fall protection and rope access while enhancing safety, aesthetics, and installation efficiency.

The Kattsafe Rigid Stealth Rail is a revolutionary height access and fall protection system. Providing uninterrupted operation during rope access use and fall protection, the Stealth System offers continuous attachment to navigate roof structures safely. Designed to complement building aesthetics, improve installation and provide fail-safe systems for the users safety.

Design Brief:

Traditional rail systems, often bulky and visually-intrusive, fail to meet technical specifications, complicating installation and maintenance. Issues include metal swarf accumulation from drilling, hazardous material collection in vertically-mounted rails, user-attachment trolleys that must be installed along with the rail, and non-conformity to building contours due to large bend radii. The challenge focused on developing a rail system that integrated with architectural aesthetics whilst addressing critical safety and functionality concerns. The objective was to create a permanent, easy-to-install solution that eliminated hazardous conditions, accommodated for a removable-trolley that was deployable anywhere along the rail, and ensured optimal safety for height-access tasks.


This project was developed by:

  • Tricycle Developments
  • Kattsafe

Design Process

The innovative rail system, featuring a bespoke rail and couplings with advanced trolleys, marks a leap in safety and design. Designed for seamless installation, it avoids drilling and metal contamination. Its sleek profile aligns with architectural aesthetics, while its void-free structure prevents hazardous build-ups. The system’s tight bends adhere to building contours, ensuring visual consistency. Equipped with permanent and removable fail-safe trolleys, it guarantees technician safety. This system not only meets stringent safety standards but also addresses the dual demands of functionality and form.

Key features of the system include:
Stealth System:
- Ensures safety for height access maintenance in a compact system designed to suit any building or structure.
- Tailored for highly trained staff. - Supports multiple-person working loads.
- Withstands ultimate shock loading of 24KN from all directions.
- Meets or exceeds AS/NZS 1891.2 & AS/NZS 1891.4

Trolley Units:
- Offers two types: permanent and removable trolley units.
- Removable trolley units allow the trolley to be removed from or attached at any point along the rail, reducing the number of permanent attachment points required per building.
- Features a failsafe system; the user can not detach the removable trolley while the carabiner is still attached.
- Includes a manual brake for enhanced safety.

Rail System Components:
- Able to be installed under eaves, on roofs or alongside buildings.
- Designed for colour matching with the building’s facade.
- Rail extrusion is void-free, preventing the accumulation of external materials.

Design Excellence

The Rigid Stealth Rail system’s design is a testament to simplicity and confidence, achieved through a blend of thoughtful design considerations and precise engineering. Its reduced profile and ability to match the colour of the building it adorns allow it to meet stringent architectural specifications. The system’s ability to navigate tight corners without compromising on aesthetics or functionality further underscores its design excellence. Moreover, the trolleys’ intuitive design language, reassuring touch points, and audible feedback instil confidence in the user that they can trust the system with their lives.

Designed with the highest safety considerations in mind, The Stealth system exceeds safety standards AS/NZS 1891.2 & AS/NZS 1891.4. With built-in safeguards to prevent unintentional use, the Stealth system ensures reliability and safety for operators. By eliminating drilling during installation, the system enhances the ease-of-installation and provides a significant safety advantage by preventing any contamination on the rail’s running surfaces.

Premium material selection and precision manufacturing techniques such as casting, machining, and extruding, contribute to the system’s superior quality and adherence to strict performance requirements. Additionally, the Stealth system has undergone extensive testing both in-house and by external testing houses, ensuring its reliability and performance.

Commercially, the Stealth system represents Kattsafe’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction. By opening up new markets, it demonstrates the company’s ability to respond to customer needs effectively. The system’s design allows Kattsafe to expand into premium architectural and hazardous area markets, showcasing its versatility and commercial potential.

Design Innovation

The Stealth System revolutionises safety rail systems through merging the disciplines of user centred design and critical engineering.

Industrial design played a key role in ensuring all product touch points provide confidence in this safety critical product. Engineering of the system included significant engineering analysis, through FEA simulations, calculations, prototype building and testing.

The program pushed the boundary for the impact design can make when applied to traditionally engineering based problems. A holistic design lens applied with a detailed engineering plan led to a solution that increases user confidence and safety.

Design Impact

The Stealth rail system has revolutionised worker safety at heights, drastically reducing fall risks and ensuring safe returns home. Providing uninterrupted operation during rope access use and fall protection, the Stealth System offers continuous attachment to navigate roof structures safely. This innovative solution has simplified and enhanced safety protocols for operators. It has also expanded Kattsafe’s reach into two new markets: aesthetically-focused architectural projects and hazardous environments where its unique design prevents dangerous material buildup. The system’s patent safeguards Kattsafe’s brand, while its complex design and thorough testing exemplify outstanding design achievement.

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