October 2019

Height Safety
support future works. These fall into two
categories: collective restraint, and personal
lifeline.
Collective restraints include handrails, walls and
even glass parapets around the perimeter of the
building. Best practice suggests using restraints
that are at least 1.2m high to ‘fence off’ the highrisk
areas. They have merits, but they often break
the aesthetic lines of the building. Nor do they
offer protection for hard to reach areas.
With personal lifeline systems, workers wear a
harness connected by wire rope to a fixed anchor
point, allowing them to move safely around the
roof. Systems offer either work restraint or fall
arrest.
Work restraint systems guide workers within predefined
limits to prevent them from getting into
high risk areas where a fall is possible. However,
whenever a fall becomes even a remote
possibility, fall arrest systems (FAS) become
mandatory.
Arresting the fall
FAS allows workers more freedom to work on
gutters, windows and walls. Should they slip, the
system’s mechanics kick-in to break their fall.
There are many personal lifeline systems
available. Here at SFS, for example, the Soter II
offers an integrated fall and restraint solution,
with a discreet low-profile suitable for a wide
range of applications. Soter II uses a patented
energy absorbing coil to break falls and dissipate
the energy, helping minimise damage to both
worker and roof.
It also features a CE-marked Slyder device which
allows up to four workers to move freely without
the risk of entanglement.
There’s more to specifying a fall arrest system
than just the technology. For example, within the
RAMS, there should be a clear instruction of how
to rescue a worker who has fallen. This should be
done within a time limit of three minutes,
otherwise the PPE harness can start to cut off
blood circulation.
Make the right choice
With so much to
evaluate, it is
understandably
difficult to pick
the right
system.
However,
there’s really
only one factor
that matters:
ensuring maximum
protection for workers.
This is the single most
important consideration and should be
the one at the centre of decision-making. After
that, it’s a question of evaluating the factors –
roof type, access requirements, even wind load
calculations – and customising a solution to each
requirement.
“Skylights are
particularly hazardous,
due to the fragility of
the glass”
On retrofit projects, which were built without the
benefit of foresight or legislation, the building
itself will largely dictate the approach. Fall
protection systems should also look at the
potential obstacles on the roof. Skylights are
particularly hazardous, due to the fragility of the
glass.
On new builds, there’s more scope to shape the
decision. The key here, perhaps, is to ensure full
and proper freedom of movement for workers in a
way that supports the future maintenance needs
of the building, as well as the integrity of the
design.
In addition to these physical factors, specifiers
and contractors should look for added value
features, including the expertise behind the
protection systems.
For example, it’s always good
practice to use
manufacturers who
can provide advice
and support at
every stage, from
design through
to
implementation.
This helps
streamline
processes and can
even deliver cost-savings
over the lifecycle of the
project. Also important is their
investment in research, development and testing.
Roofing is ever evolving and fall protection
systems must also continuously evolve to
accommodate these advances.
Manufacturers have an unwritten responsibility to
vet the installers that use their systems. This
includes auditing and training them properly. This
not only ensures the system is installed safely
and correctly, but also efficiently. A sign of a
quality manufacturer is their ability to reach out
not just to installers but to every influencer in the
construction process. This can even start with
CPDs or similar approved courses aimed at
contractors and architects.
These are all features of SFS’s offer, but it’s not a
given across the industry. These aspects of the
service are every bit as important as the quality
of the product. Like the components within the
systems themselves, everything works together to
ensure the right outcome.
In summary then, safety at height isn’t just a
question of handing a lifeline to the workers on
the roof. It’s also about the line of support that
extends from the supplier. In other words, the
complete support package.
Contact SFS
0113 2085 500
www.sfsintec.co.uk
@SFSintec
58 TC OCTOBER 2019