Working at Height in Construction Industry: Roof Work
Roof work involves working at height regularly and accounts for around 25% of all fatalities in the construction industry. Roof work doesn’t only refer to trained roofers, it can refer to anyone accessing the roof such as maintenance workers. In this infographic we take a look at some of the biggest hazards when working at height on a roof.
Fragile Roofs – Falls through fragile materials is the biggest cause of accidents when working on roofs. All roofs should be treated as fragile until a competent person has confirmed they are not. Materials on a roof that were once safe can become fragile due to damage and poor maintenance.
Roof Access – Accessing a roof or moving between different levels of a roof can also be extremely dangerous. Methods used to access roofs include:
- general access scaffolds
- stair towers
- fixed or mobile scaffold towers
- mobile access equipment
- ladders
- roof access hatches
It is important that these structures are properly maintained and that anyone accessing the roof knows how to use them in a safe manner.
Falling Materials – Falling materials can injure people accessing the roof as well as members of the public. It is important proper precautions are taken to reduce the risk of materials falling from height when working on a roof.
Working at Height Training
Correct work at height training is vital to worker safety when carrying out roof work. Lack of correct training on work at height risk assessments, working and rescuing procedure can create an unsafe working environment. Eurosafe Solutions can offer a full range of height safety training courses to provide tailored solutions for your needs.
