Roof Installation and Maintenance Safety

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency whose aim is to "assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance." In its study of the common fatalities in a construction site, it has found out that falls are the leading cause. The culprit of one-third of all construction deaths, falls are usually due to unprotected roof and unstable ladders.

Homebuilders and other construction workers are required to observe the standards of safety set and enforced by OSHA. Roof installation, repair, and maintenance are some types of construction jobs in which these standards apply the most. Workers must use the protection systems that OSHA specifies in any workplace, particularly when installing or repairing roof, to avoid falls.

The three types of systems OSHA usually specifies are guard rails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems.

No matter how high a structure is, setting up guard rails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest tools is essential in keeping a safe workplace. Guard rails are systems installed along the perimeter of a certain working area to prevent workers from straying into dangerous or off-limit zones. Without guard rails, both workers and civilians walking alongside the structure are at risk of fall accidents.

A safety net system is almost similar with guard rails in the purpose of protecting workers from falling off the sides, except that this system consists of nets that can catch even falling debris.

Personal fall arrest systems, on the other hand, consist of lifeline support connected to anchors usually built-in on the roof. Any of these systems can be used but incorporating all of them will increase safety.

In fast developing places like Arlington and Alexandria in Virginia, there are construction projects here and there. To prevent interrupting civilians from using walkways alongside construction sites, Alexandria roofing and construction companies install either or both safety nets and guard rails. They also provide lifeline support systems for workers. They employ workers who have undergone training provided by OSHA to ensure their personal awareness of the safety standards.

Ladder and ground safety are also a primary concern in any construction project, particularly in roofing. The roofers must know how to correctly position a ladder on an existing structure, especially the minimum angle of inclination toward the eaves of the roof. Experts in roofing Arlington residents recommend observe the standards also to minimize the risk of tools falling off the roof and hitting workers or civilians.

More information about Alexandria roofing safety can be found in RoofingTalks.com. This website provides forums and blogs about roofing, including updates on safety standards.

Vertical Roof Ladders ? Do Yours Meet OSHA and ANSI Standards?

Vertical roof ladders that don’t meet or indeed exceed OSHA & ANSI standards are just inviting trouble — at the very least, a large fine levied on the business; possibly even a term of imprisonment for a culpable business owner or manager, if a serious injury or death is determined to be partially or in the main caused by defective equipment. Defective equipment is a major cause of injury in industry, and deaths caused from injuries sustained in falls from height are not a pretty sight.

At the end of the story, there are family and loved ones who suffer for many years afterward as well… because nothing in the world will bring the loved one back. Business owners and managers should always look at safety as a priority, and risk assessment should be carried out as much as is reasonably possible to ensure safe working practices, not just for employees but visiting contractors, too.

Safety regulations that cover the work place don’t necessarily cover residential homes  — but the penalties for non-compliance with a basic duty of care for anyone working on the premises are pretty much the same, and access to working at height, anywhere, always carries more of an element of risk than any other type of work.

Make sure that anyone working at height on a roof ladder is protected as much as possible; ensure a safety harness is always issued, and make sure any worker understands the consequences of not wearing one.

This is where things can become difficult; professional workers will adhere to the rules wherever possible, because their lives and income depend on it.

It’s the amateurs who tend to take risks. Even though the height involved in domestic situations tends to be considerably less than in an industrial situation, if a mishap occurs, the end result can be just as devastating.

Fixed roof ladders and portable roof ladders are by their nature fairly rigid in their end use — but pricewise, they are relatively inexpensive, although fixed ladders will incur extra cost in fixing safely in situ and should be factored into the overall cost. More detailed information with reference to industrial access solutions, where and how to buy them, is available from the leading industrial access specialists in the United States. Remember the name of Factory Supply; many satisfied clients already have them bookmarked for instant access. They can be located at their website, where all contact details are available: http://ladders.factorysupply.net/fixed/e-fixed.htm.