If your company provides services that involve working at height, then according to OSHA – your workers need to be protected from fall arrest equipment. Such equipment stops the workers from falling from the height. This equipment is needed Because there is always a danger of their accidental falling off from the heights of the roofs of tall buildings, which may even cause their deaths. Hence, the precautionary measures regarding roof height safety should be adopted for avoiding such grave mishaps. There are various kinds of fall protection equipment that can save the precious lives of the construction workers when they are working at a height of more than 2 metres.
Different Types of Fall Protection Systems for Roof Height Safety
1. Guardrails – The roof edges are the most dangerous places from where the workers can fall off from a huge height. Therefore, permanent or temporary guardrails should be installed at the high working stations, mainly on the roofs of multi-storeyed buildings. The guardrails of suitable heights are effective roof height safety feature that can prevent accidental falls to a large extent.
2. Anchorage Points – The risks of accidental falls can be reduced by installing different kinds of anchorage devices on the high rooftops. Strong anchor points are installed on the roofs, on which lanyards, ropes or steel wires can be tied for securing the workers with these points. These points may be either in the simple D-ring form or a complicated lifeline system.
3. Safety Nets – The installation of large safety nets made of natural fibres or synthetic ropes, just below the high working stations of the workers can save them from accidental falls. Usually, webs or dense meshes made of nylon threads or polypropylene fibres can provide the required safety from the heights. However, the strengths of these nets should be checked according to the weights they can bear without being damaged and they should also be frequently tested.
4. Fall Arrest Equipment – Personal Fall Arrest or PFA system generally comprises of body harnesses that are attached to lanyards. Different types of Fall Protection kits are now available in the market at reasonable prices. These kits include the anchor, ropes or lifelines and body harnesses, for saving the life of the user. Some kits are also provided with fire extinguishers, though those kits are much costlier. Good quality lanyards also ensure roof height safety, by absorbing the shock received during an accidental fall while stopping the user from hitting the ground.
5. Warning Line Methods – This type of protection is meant for warning the workers from entering into the riskier zones, which are totally unprotected and may claim their lives. These kits also have a fixed base, a steel cable that is coated with vinyl, warning flags, corrosive resistant tubes, and other required fittings that are needed for maintaining roof height safety.
6. Other Equipment – There is some more roof height safety equipment used by various companies on regular basis depending on their needs which are as follows:
- Suspension belts
- Rope grabs
- Shock absorbers
- Full body harness
The construction workers should be trained to recognise dangerous places so that they can avoid stepping into risky areas on the roofs of their clients. Moreover, all the roof height safety devices should be purchased from reliable brands that are known to sell only the best quality products. The users need to check their harnesses and other safety devices before proceeding with the uses of these mechanisms on their working stations on high roofs. The construction companies should adhere by all the safety rules to save their workers from accidents while working on heights as per the law of the land.
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