If sheeting appears brittle, you must manage the risks of falling through the roof. Print PDF. Sydney A year-old subcontractor fell more than three metres onto a concrete pavement at a school in Wahroonga. Wahroonga school. Molong A year-old apprentice carpenter fell through perspex roof sheeting at a manufacturing plant in Molong, in western NSW. Molong manufacturing plant. Alectown A year-old roofing contractor fell more than three metres through the roof of a sheering shed at a rural property near Parkes.
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Learn More This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. Home » Eliminating Falls Through Roofs. Order Reprints. Photos courtesy of Capital Safety. Every jobsite analysis should contain a safety program which specifies appropriate personal fall arrest system.
Workers have a duty to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and that they do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons. Workers must comply with any reasonable instruction and cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health and safety at the workplace. Employees and contractors are responsible for having a safe work method statement and ensure each task is examined to determine whether there is a risk and how that risk can be eliminated or minimised.
Employees and contractors are responsible for applying the regulations, codes of practice and safe work procedures that relate to working on roofs. Employees and contractors are responsible for reporting any non-compliant roof protection systems to the PCBU or manager to ensure fall protection on roofs is maintained.
Perimeter or edge protection should be installed on all exposed edges of a roof including the perimeters of buildings, the perimeters of skylights or other fragile roof materials, and any openings in the floor or roof.
Edge protection is the preferred control for preventing falls from roofs on single-storey buildings because it isolates multiple workers from the risk of a fall. If this is not reasonably practical then the use of scaffolding, elevating work platforms or temporary work platforms are more acceptable alternatives. Plan for when you will need edge protection. Sourcing and erecting edge protection may take time. Install edge protection as early as possible on a job so multiple groups of contractors, sub-contractors and workers can use it throughout the project, for example builders, electrical workers, and roofers.
Think about and manage how the edge protection will be erected, as people may be exposed to the hazards of working at height during its installation. Fit edge protection with a top rail, mid rail and toe board where the potential fall exceeds 2 metres or the fall area contains hazards such as sharp objects. Ensure that any installed edge protection is monitored and reviewed, especially after a storm or other occurrence that could affect its ability to prevent falls.
A total restraint system protects a worker from approaching an unprotected edge, thereby preventing a fall from occurring. The system uses a full-body harness which is anchored to a stable, fixed point via an energy absorbing lanyard and is set up so the worker is unable to reach any edge that presents a danger. The fixed point is usually an installed temporary roof anchor point. A trained and competent person should install the temporary roof anchor and check that the system is functioning correctly.
Workers should not work in isolation when using a total restraint system. If it is determined that working on the roof is required, ensure it is assessed appropriately and precautions are taken.
With these questions answered, you will be well placed to determine whether working on the roof is suitable and whether adequate safety precautions have been undertaken. Every year many Australians are hurt or killed through falls from roofs. The following are real life examples of such incidents. Fatal fall from roof - A man died when he fell 28 metres from the roof of a building onto concrete paving. The man, a labourer, was working as part of a four-man team on replacing a roof.
At the time of the accident the deceased and his co-workers were finishing off their day's work. The workers were securing a stack of unused roof decking onto the existing upper pitched roof. It was while carrying out this task that the man fell to his death. Fall arrest equipment was being worn by all four workers and all but the deceased were connected to an appropriate anchorage.
Some time prior to his fall he had disconnected his lanyard from the lifeline rope chuck. Fatal fall through roof skylight - A 28 year old man died of head injuries when he fell through the roof of a packing shed while trying to repair a loose sheet of iron. The young man, although employed as forklift driver and shed hand, was often sent onto the saw tooth roof to carry out minor repairs for his employer.
Tradesmen were only called in when major repairs were needed. On this occasion the man fell five and a half metres through a fibreglass skylight onto the concrete floor below. No safe access to the roof was provided, there were no signs warning that the roof had fragile sections and there was no safety mesh beneath the skylight. Fall from roof - A 48 year old man suffered head injuries when he fell about eight metres through unsupported asbestos cement sheeting onto a concrete floor.
At the time of the accident, he was employed by a company who were engaged in removing the asbestos cement sheeting.
The roof area of this building was very fragile. Access to the work area was provided by means of unsecured ladders and no perimeter protection such as scaffolding or handrails had been erected.
There was no safety mesh beneath the roof and the injured worker was not wearing any personal safety equipment. Fall arrest equipment was stored in a work vehicle on the site for the use of any employee who required it. Had management ensured that their workers used the equipment, this man may have escaped serious injury. Share: Share article on Facebook Share article on Twitter? The most common causes of roof falls are: inadequate safety precautions and fall protection undertaken; failure to implement adequate edge protection; tripping on obstacles; and, falling through a skylight or other opening see penetrations.
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