November 2018

Safety at Height
“Whilst this is the
responsibility of the
specifier, building
owner and installer of
the safety equipment, at
the end of the day it is
only effective if it is
used correctly by the
people working on the
roof”
Above: Mechanical handling equipment is essential for these larger panels; Below: Kingspan KS2000RW two metre wide panels
are available in lengths up to 20 metres.
and 20 metres long, large areas can be covered in
a relatively short space of time. Mechanical
handling equipment is essential for these larger
panels, and has also become the standard for
most insulated panel system installations, with
roof panels typically being craned in to place. In
turn, this reduces the risk of injury from manual
handling and further speeds up the work.
However, it is essential that installers are
properly trained in the use of such equipment,
and competent to safely lift and secure the panels
in place.
Lifelong safety
No matter how robust the roof itself may be to
walk on, there is always the risk of a slip, trip or
fall, both during construction and during any
maintenance that may need to be carried out over
the life of the building.
One of the best ways of protecting workers on
roofs is to install and operate fall arrest systems,
from simple passive barriers installed around the
perimeter of a flat roof, to rail-based anchor
systems designed to provide personal protection
across the whole roof area. These are typically
fixed to the top skin of the panel, which
minimises the dynamic load on the roof in the
event of a fall and avoids penetrating the
insulation layer and causing a thermal bridge.
They are easy to integrate with insulated panel
systems and should be regarded as an essential
part of any new roofing system. They can also
generally be retrofitted to existing roofs.
As always, it is important that such equipment is
properly installed, suitable for the application and
tested to the appropriate third-party standards.
Whilst this is the responsibility of the specifier,
building owner, and installer of the safety
equipment, at the end of the day it is only
effective if it is used correctly by the people
working on the roof.
Don’t fall for it
Whether you’re an experienced contractor or an
apprentice roofer, it can be tempting sometimes
to take short-cuts and take the odd risk. Don’t fall
for the idea that health and safety doesn’t matter
and is just a box to be ticked. The CDM
Regulations are there to protect your life and your
co-workers’ lives. Use solutions that help to keep
you safe, and don’t become one of those
increasingly rare statistics appearing in the
Health and Safety Executive reports each year.
Contact Kingspan Insulated Panels
01352 717 251
www.kingspanpanels.co.uk
@KingspanIP_UK
64 TC NOVEMBER 2018