Roofs and roof coverings
Working on roofs: how do you prepare a safe workplace at height?
Fitting roof sheets, clearing gutters and replacing flashing all require safe access and protection against falls. Even a short job can put someone at serious risk. Give priority to measures that protect the whole team and select personal equipment for the specific workplace. Before anyone goes up, assess the roof’s load-bearing capacity, the weather, openings and how materials will reach the work area. Prepare a rescue plan. Identify the tasks and the areas where they will take place. Review the roof drawings and inspect accessible components. Some sheets and panels cannot carry the concentrated load of a person. Damaged coverings, translucent rooflights and unprotected openings deserve particular attention.
In this guide
What should you check before work begins?
A roof surface can look continuous and still be unsafe to stand on.
Assess the risks and organise the work before the team goes onto the roof. Those doing the job need appropriate competence, instruction and any clearance required for the work. Assess fitness through the applicable procedure, including medical assessment where required. Age or the fact that someone wears glasses is no basis for a decision on its own.
How do you provide safe access and protect the edges?
Choose access equipment for the duration of the job, the tools being carried and the position of the work. Scaffolds, platforms and other equipment must be stable and used as intended. Provide a safe transfer from the access point onto the roof. A makeshift ladder propped against a gutter does not provide a suitable work position.
Use suitable collective protection first, such as edge protection. It must suit the structure and withstand the expected forces. Protect and mark openings and fragile areas as well. Warning tape alone cannot stop someone falling over an unguarded edge.
When is personal fall protection needed?
Where other measures cannot adequately control the risk, select a suitable personal fall protection system. A harness is only one component. Specify the connection, the anchor, the area the worker can reach and the clearance the system requires. Incompatible components can leave the user without effective protection.
Do not use a gutter, a convenient screw or a thin panel facing as an anchor without confirmed suitability for that specific system. Check equipment before use as instructed and ensure the team knows how to use it. Do not modify components or combine them in ways the instructions rule out.
How do you lift and position materials safely?
Long sheets expose a large surface to the wind. Choose a handling method that keeps them under control and prevents permanent distortion. Sandwich panels require lifting equipment and grips suitable for their dimensions and weight. Even a relatively light panel may be too unwieldy to carry safely by hand.
Place packs and tools only where the load-bearing capacity has been checked. Secure them against sliding or being blown off the roof. Keep bystanders out of the area below. Sharp edges and swarf create additional hazards, so keep the workplace tidy, wear suitable gloves and select protection for the task.
When should the weather stop work?
Wet or icy sheets can be extremely slippery. Wind affects balance and makes large sheets harder to handle. Observe the limits in the equipment and material instructions and assess current conditions at the work position. No single weather threshold can make every task safe on every roof.
Plan how to stop work if conditions deteriorate. Secure materials and protect exposed parts of the roof as set out in the work plan. Allow time to leave safely before a storm or strong gusts make descent difficult. Even short repairs need a schedule that allows work to be interrupted.
What rescue arrangements should you agree in advance?
The team must know how to summon help, how rescuers can reach a casualty and who will direct the response. If a fall arrest system is used, provide for the prompt, safe rescue of a person suspended in the harness. The rescue plan must suit the workplace and the equipment available.
Assign responsibility for supervision and communication before work starts. Each worker should know when to stop and report changed conditions. The building owner can help by providing documentation and arranging access. Preparation for safe roof work starts on the ground by identifying hazards and putting effective protection in place.