March 2018

Fragile Roofs
THE COST AND CONSEQUENCES
OF FRAGILE ROOF FALLS
A staggering number of falls from height continue to be linked with fragile roofs. Employers
are faced with harsh fines and court appearances due to unsafe working conditions and not
following the correct procedures for employees to remain safe. Soni Sheimer, General
Manager at Easi-Dec, takes a look at the range of options and solutions that are available to
contractors working at height.
According to the Health and Safety
Executive (HSE), falls from height remain
one of the most common causes of fatality
and major injury in the UK, with falls through
fragile surfaces accounting for 22% of all
accidents from height in the construction
industry. The 2016/2017 provisional figures
report that there were 25 fatalities as a result of
falls from height at work.
The key piece of legislation is the Work at Height
Regulations 2005, as amended by the Work at
Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007, which
places a legal requirement for anyone who
contracts others to access and maintain rooftop
equipment on public buildings and housing
developments to ensure proper safety precautions
are in place. Breaching these regulations can
result in a legal prosecution and either a
substantial fine or possible imprisonment.
In November 2017, a Dudley-based contractor
was fined and sentenced to 180 hours community
service and given a six-month prison sentence
suspended for 12 months after a 30-year old
labourer fell more than six metres through a
fragile roof. The man suffered numerous fractures
to his spine, pelvis and shoulder, and will now
never work as a roofer again. The HSE
investigation found that the contractor failed to
address the risk of working at height and on
fragile surfaces before undertaking this roofing
work. He also failed to ensure that fellow workers
had the adequate support to complete this work
and this resulted in it being carried out in an
unsafe manner.
Solutions for fragile roof work
Access to roof tops requires
solutions that are designed to
overcome the challenges of
working on fragile roofs and
provide the user with a safe
working position for skin
maintenance, inspection, cleaning and
re-sealing work.
It is essential that all work at
height is properly planned and
carried out by competent
members of staff.
Selecting the right equipment is
key to reducing the risk of accidents
and falls from height. It needs to be
secure, easy to access and meet
required regulations. Any of
these three types of access
systems can be considered
when accessing roof tops:
1. Mesh walkways are a great
option when access is needed to
run from the eaves to ridge. It provides
the benefit of spreading the weight across the
support battens, allowing the contractors to
confidently move along the full length of the
system. Opting for a solution that is made from
high grade aluminium ensures the structure is
robust, lightweight, and easily transportable.
2. A fully guarded rolling platform, which is
mounted on twin racks, allows contractors to
move up and down the roof on a secure and level
surface. Requiring no penetration,
the structure is easy to
assemble and take down, and
is possible to transport quickly
to other parts of the roof. The
platform moves along a linking
track which is fitted with safety
mesh and battens to provide further
support.
3. Lightweight mobile walking
frames are designed to
provide safe access for one or
two people when working
along valley gutters. The
outriggers are filled with safety
mesh and cushioned for comfort. This
system can also be used to transport
light payloads. Suitable for typical
symmetrical valleys, the system
could also be fully adjustable
to suit uneven designs.
Working with these types of
systems presents roofing
contractors with a quicker, more
cost-effective and more practical
approach to rooftop access, and will ensure that
they comply fully with the requirements of the
Work at Height Regulations.
Images, top to bottom: Board-Walk Mesh Walkway; Roof-
Walk rolling work platform; Valley-Walk mobile walking frame
Contact Easi-Dec
01767 691812
www.easi-dec.co.uk
@EasiDec
42 TC MARCH 2018