Is your roof as safe as you think it is?

It seems that in a world dominated by social and corporate responsibility, little of this goodwill is cascading down to the operational grassroots of roof maintenance and inspection work. Either that, or initial good intentions are being changed or diluted by people with little regard for people’s safety or insufficient experience to make good decisions about roof safety.

Compliance to work at height regulations is a mandatory requirement in Australia, however, in an attempt to cut costs, while claiming compliance to the regulations, a great proliferation of single point of anchor roof safety products (‘single anchor points’) are being installed in recent years all around the country.

I believe that the reasoning behind such installations is flawed and the protection that they afford to roof workers is minimal. In fact, in some cases, the use of these types of anchor points actually increases the risk of an accident or fatality occurring, as a false sense of security can be created.

This article has been written in an endeavour to raise the awareness of a growing concern over the placement of single-point fall protection anchors on roofs in Australia.

From the outset, it should be understood that, on the roof of a building, it is extremely unlikely that a roof worker or a maintenance person will need to stand in one place all the time to carry out his or her work. They will generally need to move around many or all parts of the roof area, inspecting the roof for any signs of damage or wear and tear, as well as having to check the condition of the gutters and clear them if necessary. In addition to this, it is not uncommon to find various types of plant and equipment situated on the roofs of buildings - things like air conditioning units, aerials, solar panels and, these days, even small wind turbines - that will require regular inspection and maintenance.

So why is it that, as a roof becomes a more complex place to work and potentially more frequently accessed, companies are commissioning the installation of the least sophisticated form of roof safety scheme that affords the roof worker the least amount of protection? This approach also makes an already high-risk activity even more complex and, in turn, increases the risk to the roof worker. This, in turn, increases the liability of the company that has responsibility for the roof and the worker. In this day and age, this approach makes no sense.

In order to ensure that a roof is in a safe state for authorised personnel to access and conduct their work on, they need to be protected from falling. In order for this to be the case, they need to be protected from a fall hazard at all times. And to do this effectively, the roof should have a continuous and comprehensive safety anchorage system or edge-protection system, such as a guardrail, which should conform to national height safety standards. Such a solution effectively controls risk, when combined with user training.

If multiple single-anchor points are chosen to save costs in place of a continuous attachment system, such as a static line or rail, they will provide a discontinuous point of attachment for the roof worker. This will mean that the workers will have to repeatedly attach and detach themselves to the anchor points and this makes for a very unfriendly system, which may invariably lead to the system not being used part of the time that workers are on the roof, or even at all, in the long run. This would be contrary to the entire intent of working safely at height because such an unfriendly system would end up not being used, further exposing workers to the dangers of falling off the building. It is also very unproductive and requires a higher level of skill if it is to be used safely, leading to increased training costs.

Additionally, in order for such a complex roof safety scheme to work, the anchors must be installed 2 m apart, to enable the user to effectively remain attached at all times. This then enables the worker to traverse the anchor scheme using a twin-tailed lanyard. In many cases, anchors are installed at distances of 4 m or more apart to save further money, inevitably meaning that the poor worker can’t reach them safely!

When considering what is most appropriate for roof safety, price of course will be a deciding factor; but it should only become such an important factor once the appropriate solution that offers comprehensive worker protection has been agreed upon.

When considering a safety system for roof work, think about the following points carefully:

1. Risk assessment - fully understand the risks to the worker and how best to mitigate those risks. If the worker is required to access multiple areas of the roof, then single anchor points will not be an appropriate control measure. Also, consider the skill levels of the workers and the frequency and duration of the tasks they will have to carry out on the roof.
2. Get some advice from a company with a demonstrable track record in height safety that can offer a range of solutions. This way you will receive an unbiased perspective and advice on the most appropriate solution for your requirements.
3. Check out all of the products for their quality and functionality. You should ask to see samples and satisfy yourself as to the products suitability for the task. You should also ensure the product is fully tested and compliant with all appropriate regulations.
4. Design your roof safety system to prevent a worker from being exposed to a fall hazard wherever possible.
5. Check that your roof structure is structurally sound and certainly not fragile. Where necessary allow for a walkway, which will distribute load, reduce the risk of slip hazards and guide workers to the correct work areas.
6. Obtain calculations from the safety system manufacturer that predict the loads that would be generated in the event of a fall and check that your roof structure can adequately deal with those loads if someone were to fall off the roof and be suspended on the system.
7. Consider your management controls. Put systems in place that prevent unauthorised people from accessing your roof and ensure that only trained personnel with the correct work equipment are allowed onto the roof. You should also have a rescue plan in place that can be promptly deployed in the event of an incident.
8. Before commencing the installation of a safety system, check that the company installing it, and its staff, have been trained and are competent to carry out the work to the manufacturer’s standards.

Single anchor points may seem cheap on the face of it but, in the long run, they may end up costing you dearly. The least negative impact would end up being a less productive and poorly equipped workforce; but the negative impact could easily be far more extreme - a serious accident or worse, the death of one of your workers or contractors.

Think carefully, spend wisely and sleep well.

*Simon Luke is the Managing Director of Uniline Safety Systems, an international manufacturer of fall protection systems.