You should take all necessary preparations to ensure your site is safe to work on. Here are some dos and don’ts to help you create a safe working environment
Do
- Use safety nets as fall arrest equipment.
- Clearly define and properly supervise working positions and access to the roof.
- Provide a scraper at the bottom of all ladders to clean boots.
- Wear suitable clothing and boots, avoiding loose, flapping clothing and trousers.
- Treat all roofs as fragile and always use crawling boards, roof ladders and walkways.
- Lay correct staging over the purlins ahead of covering.
- Use two or more workers for safe handling of sheets if necessary.
- Always fully fix sheeting before moving on.
- Remove all loose material from the roof as work proceeds.
- Take extra care on roofs during windy, wet or frost conditions.
- Consider load-bearing capacity when transporting heavy loads over the roof.
- Provide properly constructed walkways where regular access is required to reach roof lights, ventilation and service ducts.
- Check carefully for any roof lights in non-fragile roofs as they can be difficult to spot. They may have been painted over. In bright sunshine they can blend in with the surrounding sheets.
- Take precautions to prevent falls wherever the job involves passing by or working within 2m of fragile roof lights. For example: fit suitable, secure covers over the roof lights; or provide suitable guard rails and toe boards around the roof lights; or provide a safety net, airbag or similar immediately below the roof light.
- Always observe the relevant provisions of the Health & Safety Act, and any other legislation currently in force.
Don’t
- Carry out work directly below the area being covered.
- Stack materials on roofs, unless specified by manufacture load out instructions.
- Leave tools on the roof space.
- Cut in confined spaces unless dust extraction equipment is available.
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