Around 10 people die each year after falling from rooftops whilst carrying out repairs and maintenance, and hundreds are seriously injured.
Fatalities occur more often than not when the roof being worked on is not secure enough to carry the weight of the person doing the repairs. Now this doesn’t mean avoid a big lunch before fixing some slates – a fragile roof should be totally avoided.
Whether you’re fixing the roof of a factory, farm or warehouse, there’s a couple of things you should look out for before getting the ladder out.
Here are the things you should look out for:
- The presence of any asbestos
- Old roof lights
- Fibre cement sheets that have not been reinforced
- Metal sheeting that has corroded
- Glass, new or old, including wired glass
- Slates and tiles that are either loose or in poor condition
For a builder, specialist roofer or workman, knowing that your working environment is safe is obviously going to be a concern. Too many weeks out of the van with concussion or a back injury after falling off the roof won’t do your bank account any good – or indeed your back!
There are also big legal issues surrounding small building firms that send their workmen up roofs that have not been checked for frailties. If they fall and injure themselves, you could be liable for court costs and a hefty fine.
Here are five things to seriously consider and check before work begins:
- 1. Actually assume that your roof is not safe for work, and then mentally prove to yourself that it is in fact secure. This method will help ensure you don’t overlook anything that could be a hazard.
- 2. Avoid going onto the roof yourself, especially if you are inexperienced working at heights or are questioning the integrity of the roof in question.
- 3. Avoid climbing onto the roof where possible. Many jobs such as gutter clearing and surveying can be carried out from the ground.
- 4. DO NOT walk along a roof ridge or the line of fixings around the supports.
- 5. Tell whoever is working on the roof that you believe it may be fragile. They will appreciate the warning and will take professional caution when approaching the top of the building.
It won’t take long to check for the above things, and the time spent will be more than made up for if everyone leaves the building site without having suffered an accident or fall.
