The biggest risk that roofers face is falling from height. Fortunately, there are several ways to control this risk and protect yourself / your employees during roof work.
If working on a roof is unavoidable, roofers must be provided with safe access to the roof level (via ladders, scaffolding, etc.) and a safe means of working, i.e. proper fall protection equipment such as a safety harness.
Let’s take a closer look at these important safety measures…
What is safe access for roofers?
Providing roofers with safe access to the roof is incredibly important and requires careful planning. Types of safe access equipment include:
- Scaffold towers
- Stair towers
- Ladders
- Roof access hatches
The optimal access method can vary depending on the job at hand. For example, in a situation where you’re working on a sloping roof, a sturdy roof ladder may be the most suitable means of access.
What is a fall protection for roofers?
Fall protection equipment for roofers includes…
Safety harnesses
If you are working on a flat roof without edge protection, you must wear a safety harness with a restraint lanyard attached to a secured anchor. This will prevent you from getting close enough to the edge for a fall to occur. If this is impractical, you can instead use a fall arrest harness and lanyard to catch you mid-fall.
Safety nets
In instances where you find yourself working from a roof edge and it is not possible to completely prevent a fall, a safety net can be installed to protect roofers in the event of a fall from height. Safety nets are installed horizontally in order to catch you should you fall.
Safety nets are particularly useful when working on fragile surfaces, or in instances where you’re replacing something like an old sheet or roof light which creates a temporary gap in the roof that you could fall through.
Temporary edge protection
Where it is not practical to use a safety net or a safety harness, another option is to add temporary edge protection at the leading edge. This usually takes the form of a simple barrier that prevents roofers from falling off the edge of a roof.
Roof anchors
Roof anchors are used to secure roofers and restrain them from being able to fall. These mechanisms are either built into the fabric of a structure or they can be mobile/portable.
Mobile anchors are particularly useful in situations where a guardrail or permanent anchor is not available. This equipment features a deadweight anchor system with a central pedestal for tie-off.
Anchors are often used with a harness and lifeline, as well as a short lanyard to ensure the worker cannot fall off the roof edge.
Order fall protection from Safety Harness Direct
Here at Safety Harness Direct, we stock a fantastic range of fall protection equipment for roofers. Shop at the button below:
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