Roof safety solutions
Roof safety solutions are intended to ensure a safe area at the top floor of a building, both for working as just for moving around on the roof. Its main purpose is to prevent possible falls from height by roof users. Its main purpose is to prevent possible falls from height by roof users. More and more often we see as companies secure their roofs by means of collective protection equipments, instead of the traditional anchor points and EN ISO 795 ‘lifelines’. The reasons for this are, on the one hand, the high operating costs of such systems and, on the other hand, the requirements under health and safety regulations concerning falls from height.
Read on if you want to find out more about securing fall hazard areas by means of roof safety solutions classified as collective protection equipment (CPE)
Table of contents
Roof safety solutions (CPE) – Legal basis
Roof safety solutions based on collective protection equipment (CPE) do not require any intervention of roof users in the fall hazard area. As passive fall protection systems, they exclude employee’s decision to ensure themselves or not. Safety on the roofs is thus always guaranteed regardless of the employee’s approach to safety procedures.
Directive 89/391/EEC, which lays down the principles of preventive action, prioritizes CPE over personal protective equipment (PPE). The regulations clearly state that lifeline systems and anchor points EN ISO 795 should only be used when it is not possible to use collective protection equipment such as safety railings.
Benefits of using CPE as roof safety solutions against falls from height
The use of roof safety solutions based on collective protective equipment (CPE) has many advantages over the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as anchor points or “lifelines” EN ISO 795. Above all them:
-
- 100% safety at the fall hazard area. Safe work at height is ensured regardless of the roof user’s approach. When entering the danger zone, the employee does not have to do anything to ensure his own safety.
- freedom of movement on the roof without limiting the number of roof users at once. This significantly affects the speed and efficiency of works.
- safety does not depend on the user’s skills in the use of specialized mountaineering equipment. Companies operating devices or performing work on the roof, as well as roof users, do not need to have additional qualifications to work at height. Take into consideration that in the case of PPE systems, in the event of a fall from height, the employer will have to prove that the employee was properly trained, had the required certificates and periodic examinations, etc. and all the PPE safety systems had its periodic inspections passed.
- no maintenance cost for the safety system. One time investment. Roof safety solutions by means of CPE are consider as part of the building. A ‘once and for all’ hazard solution. In the case of anchor points and “lifelines” based on EN ISO 795 (PPE), the costs associated with maintenance (annual inspections), training of employees and hiring mountaineering companies to carry out basic work on the roof (e.g. snow removal) during the life of the building are huge.
For more information on the problems arising from the use of PPE to secure roofs, see our post entitled ‘Rooftop lifelines EN 795 – problems’.
Types of roof safety solutions based on CPE
We introduce you below the different roof safety solutions allowing securing fall hazard areas regardless roof users’ action (CPE). Depending on the hazard involved, we will select the most suitable solution. We must remember that, in accordance with current regulations, we should only use PPE (anchor points and “lifelines” EN ISO 795) if it is not possible to install collective protection equipment as shown below.
Safety railings EN ISO 14122-3
Safety railings are intended to protect roofs edges and to enclose fall hazard areas. Installing safety railings we can completely close the danger area. A wide selection of fixings allows you to secure any type of roof. The modular system enables quick and easy assembly of the railing, thus minimizing the costs and assembly time. They are guardrails made of aluminium, which guarantee many years of use without any special maintenance. They do not require periodic inspections as they are treated as part of the building.
Skylight fall protection
Falls through skylights represents one of the most serious hazards when moving across a roof. It is therefore very important to pay particular attention to preventing this hazard. Taking into account the current state of the law and health and safety regulations, only two solutions for securing skylights are available, in addition to the use of individual protective measures to limit access to these fall hazard areas:
EN ISO 1263 European standard does not consider the use of safety nets in the case of small openings such as skylights. Therefore, devices certified on the basis of the EN ISO 1263 standard (safety nets) are not valid to skylights and dome lights.
Demarcation of dangerous areas on the roof
Demarcation roof barriers are used to temporarily or permanently fence off fall hazard areas or demarcate traffic routes on roofs. It is a simple solution to restrict access to dangerous zones and hazardous areas on the roof. The modular system enables quick and easy assembly of the railing.
Fixed vertical ladders EN ISO 14122-4
Vertical ladders are designed for safe access to the roof of the building. They are lightweight and maintenance-free as they are made of aluminium. VECTALADDER® fixed ladders are one of the widest ladders of this type on the market (60 cm wide). This guarantees optimal comfort for users and allows access to the roof with materials.
Roof walkways EN ISO 14122-2
Roof safety solutions must also ensure that authorized personnel operating equipment on the roof can move safely. We often find light and slippery roofs where parapets and obstacles must be overcome. Roof walkways and crossover ladders certified in accordance with the EN ISO 14122-3 standard ensure the maximum level of safety when moving on the roof. They are made of aluminium, which guarantees many years of use without any special maintenance. They are lightweight devices that does not load the roof.
Roof safety solutions from AITANA SAFETY
AITANA SAFETY has been a pioneer in using Collective Protection Measures to prevent falls. We have been designing and installing both roof safety solutions and other roof safety devices for over ten years. All our systems are tested by notified bodies in accordance with European standards.
Final conclusions
It is not worth saving money by installing lifelines systems EN ISO 795 as a roof safety solution. The costs associated with the maintenance, training and hiring of climbing companies authorized to use lifelines during the building lifetime are huge. On the other hand, safety lifelines leave the decision to protect themselves or not in the hands of the roof user. Roof safety solutions based on CPE ensure 100 % safety and are much cheaper during the lifetime building.
Thanks to our wide range of roof safety solutions, we can offer our customers the best option depending on the specifics of the project. Please contact us and we will send you an offer tailored to the needs of the project.
If you want to keep informed about roof safety solutions, read our posts on this subject right here.