Roof anchoring safety | Working on roof, Rope Access and Fall Protection System on Roof

                       ROOF ANCHORING SAFETY

Work on roof
Anchoring safety

WORKING ON THE ROOF, ROPE ACCESS, FALL PROTECTION SYSTEM, FALL ARREST SYSTEM, LADDERS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, RESCUE OPERATIONS AT ON THE ROOF 

Roof Anchoring
Working on roof


WORKING ON ROOF SAFETY

WORKING ON THE ROOF, ROPE ACCESS, FALL PROTECTION SYSTEM, FALL ARREST SYSTEM, LADDERS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, RESCUE OPERATIONS AT ON THE ROOF

The following the roof works:

1.                   Edge protection systems (hard barricaded, railings) shall be installed, inspected, and signed off by a competent person

2.                   Full-body safety harnesses shall be made available where required and employees are trained in their use at the work at height.

3.                   Employees involved with roof working shall be briefed about hazards and control measures specifically on the safe system of work.

4.                   Rescue arrangements shall be in place to deal with any employee or person who may fall and become suspended by their safety full-body harness.

5.                   No one-person areas below where roof works are to be undertaken are barricaded off and warning signs shall be displayed.

6.                   Safe access egress shall be provided to each roof work area.

7.                   Adverse weather conditions shall be assessed and within the limits for work to start safely.

8.                   Fragile roof materials shall be identified and access to these areas is restricted with the use of rigid barriers and warning signs.

ROPE ACCESS

Rope access techniques on the roof allow access to structures or equipment that are otherwise inaccessible, unsafe, or impractical to access using conventional techniques.

Trained workers using industrial rope access techniques shall be trained and certified to requirements as per BS 7985 - Code of Practice for the use of Rope Access Methods for Industrial Purposes such as IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association), SPRAT (The Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians) or equivalent standards. All rope access activities shall be conducted in line with the requirements of IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association).

Rope Access work methods ensured:

1.       Provision protection to prevent a rope access technician from falling, for example, a safety line in conjunction with the working line on the roof.

2.       The connection to the rope access system or other personal fall protection system and disconnection from it shall be made in an area where there is no risk of a fall from a height

3.       The rope access personnel shall be connected to both the working line and the safety line via a safety full-body harness.

4.       Rope access systems shall be planned to avoid falls from the work at height. In the unlikely event of a fall, the impact load on a rope access technician shall never be greater than 6 KN.

INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE

Inspection and maintenance all the equipment used during working at height shall be properly inspected and maintained to minimize the risk of falls. Ensure inspection and maintenance of equipment shall comply with this Standard and as per the manufacturer’s recommendation. A thorough visual inspection and checks on equipment or tools before every usage for ensuring that the equipment is free from observable defects.

The maintenance program components:

·       The inventory of equipment that requires regular maintenance, the frequency, and procedures of maintenance of equipment

·       Periodic / regularly  inspections

·       Preventive maintenance, such as servicing, cleaning, etc.

·       Repair for damaged items if it’s possible

·       Replacement for irreparable items from the work site

·       Check the lifespan of the equipment as per the manufacturer’s recommendation instructions

·       Make sure record-keeping such as for damages, flaws detected any preventive maintenance, repairs, or replacements done of equipment.

FALL PROTECTION SYSTEM

Inspection and preventive maintenance procedure:

·       The equipment manufacturer’s recommendation instructions should be followed

·       Make sure fall protection equipment shall be inspected before each use, and also documented inspection at intervals not to exceed 6 months, or following the manufacturer’s recommendation instructions.

FALL ARREST SYSTEM

·       Ensure any defective fall arrest equipment found during inspection and maintenance shall be segregated, tagged with a cautionary Out of Service Tag, and discarded from the work site.

·       Ensure any items found to have been stretched or damaged shall be replaced before the equipment can be re-used.

·       Make sure personnel performing working at height shall inspect each of the following items as per the manufacturer’s instruction before and after use:

Full-body safety Harnesses, lanyards, connectors, ropes, slings, and any other mobile attachment devices e.g. snap-hooks, karabiners, rope grabs.

INSPECTION SHALL BE ENSURED:

1.       Make sure the opening of any equipment where access for daily inspection is provided, to make sure that internal components are in satisfactory condition.

2.       Ensure inspections of full body harnesses and lanyards are conducted every 6 months by a trained and competent person.

3.       Ensure anchorages are inspected and certified before use after initial installation and inspected every 12 months by a qualified & experienced rigger, scaffolder, or specialist installer.

4.       Ensure inspection of fall arrest devices is conducted every 3 months by a trained and competent person to perform the inspection.

5.       Ensure inspection of horizontal lifelines, vertical lifelines used with fall arrest devices, and horizontal or vertical rails to be undertaken every 12 months.

6.       Make sure that fall arrest equipment is stored and transported in conditions that avoid dampness, heat, and stress on components.

LADDERS SHALL

·       Have a pre-use daily checks inspection of the ladder

·       Make sure an up-to-date record of the detailed visual inspection carried out regularly by a competent, trained, and experienced person shall be done following the manufacturer’s recommendation.

EMERGENCY PLANNING

Proper planning in an event of any emergency during the activity shall be ensured. The emergency plan shall include but is not limited to the following:

·       Make sure a written Emergency Response Plan including rescue from work at height shall be developed.

·       Make sure emergency response equipment shall be kept on-site and made readily available and accessible identified based on the risk assessment of work at height.

·       Make sure who to approach or call in the event of an emergency for work at height.

·       Ensure procedures to follow in event of emergencies, including those persons suspended in safety harness during fall arrest system.

·       Assembly points.

·       Ensure first aid shall be made available.

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

When a person falls and is suspended in a full-body harness, it’s important to rescue him or her as quickly as possible because of the following reasons.

·       The workers may have suffered injuries during the fall and may need medical attention to the person or worker.

·       When the workers are suspended in their safety harnesses for long periods, they may suffer from blood pooling in the lower body. This can lead to suspension trauma.

·       Suspended people or workers may panic if they are not rescued quickly.

·       The event that led to the fall may create additional risks that need to be addressed.

RESCUE OPERATIONS

Emergency plan and rescue procedures to recover personnel suspended in full-body safety harnesses shall consider:

·       Make sure the immediate rescue of a person after an arrested fall to prevent the onset of potential injuries such as suspension trauma which can occur when a person is suspended in a full-body safety harness.

·       Make sure the types of equipment required to carry out a rescue at work at height. Such equipment shall be suitable for use in all foreseeable situations in the workplace. Ensure existing equipment such as mobile elevated work platforms and scissor lifts may be used for conducting rescue if suitable for the work at height on the roof.

·       The installation of individual fall-arrest systems and individual rope access systems shall be in locations where it is possible to assist or rescue a person quickly if required.

·       Ensuring that all persons or workers using fall arrest systems are familiar with devices before the commencement of the work on the roof.

·       Make sure details of additional support facilities, including the location, contact information, and availability of emergency services.

·       Make sure an effective and readily available means of communication.



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