Roof work is a high-risk activity – in fact, almost 1 in 5 deaths in construction work involve roof work, with many of those deaths being everyday people trying to repair and clean their roof themselves. Many of these accidents could have been avoided if suitable equipment was used and those doing the work were given adequate training and supervision.
So, do you need a harness to work on a roof? Yes, the risk of falls and serious injury when working on a roof can be controlled by wearing a roofer’s harness. Keep reading this blog to find out more.
What Does the Law Say About Roof Work?
The law states that all roof work must be organised and planned carefully to ensure worker safety. As part of this planning, all employers and self-employed contractors must identify hazards and assess the risk of the work situation.
Key risks and hazards in roof work include:
- Falls from unprotected edges
- Falls through fragile roofs and roof lights
- Falls through unprotected openings
- Tools and materials falling from the roof
- Structural failures
Once these risks and hazards have been identified, the employer will need to decide on any necessary precautions that could help to control the risk of injuries and fatalities.
For roof work, this will usually include:
- Using edge protection like guardrails and toe boards
- Treating all roofs as fragile until confirmed otherwise
- Ensuring the use of personal protective equipment (e.g. hard hats and hi-vis)
- Implementing fall protection systems with harnesses, lanyard, man anchors and safety nets to prevent workers falling from height (restraint) or to safety stop them if they do (arrest).
By taking these necessary precautions and providing workers with appropriate safety harnesses and equipment, employers can ensure worker safety while carrying out work on a range of different roofs.
Here at Safety Harness Direct, we stock a wide range of safety equipment for roof access. Use the buttons below to browse our range of flat roof access equipment and roof safety harnesses today.
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If you have any questions about our range of roof safety equipment, please get in touch with us today and a member of our team will be happy to help!
