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Falls can happen to anyone, even the most experienced and safety-conscious staff and it's up to safety managers to do everything they can to help workers go home uninjured at the end of the day. That’s why skylights should be a central element of any worksite’s rooftop safety plans. To help you implement reliable rooftop fall protection measures at your facility, we'll cover the most effective methods to maximize both rooftop safety and efficiency where skylights are involved.
A Necessarily Unique Fall Protection Challenge
Most skylights are not built to withstand the weight of a falling body, so it's important to treat skylights as you would a completely open space. That's how safety regulators look at skylights, and OSHA's "Duty to have fall protection" (section 1926.501) refers to holes and skylights in a similar capacity.
Still, skylights can too easily go overlooked. Because most skylights have custom dimensions and unique shapes, it can also be difficult to find simple and effective commercial skylight fall protection equipment, and many such products are hard to work around.
The solution is to accept the necessary variability involved and seek the most versatile skylight protection options on the market. We'll cover how skylight fall protection cages and skylight guardrails can adapt to the widest range of commercial skylights for maximum rooftop safety.
How to Secure Commercial Skylights
OSHA requires one of three things to protect commercial skylights:
Covers
Guardrails
Personal fall arrest systems
For regular rooftop work, a personal fall arrest system is not as practical than the other two options. It could also limit the number of workers on a project, due to on-hand equipment availability or lack of training. On the other hand, a skylight guardrail or cover (including protection cages) provide ongoing fall protection. They allow employees to stay focused on their tasks, and the safety equipment is always there.
While guardrails must withstand specific amounts of force, the force requirements of skylight covers are variable. They must withstand at least twice the weight of any employee, equipment, and materials that "may be imposed" on the cover at any one time. This means all staff, especially safety managers, must know the cover's force ratings and adjust work near skylights accordingly.
With any rooftop fall arrest system, your chosen device must meet or exceed all force requirements. When comparing rooftop fall protection systems, always research your local regulations, referring to OSHA and CCOHS guidelines as necessary.
This is an interesting scenario, and you generally don't want to take any risks by foregoing fall protection equipment when necessary. OSHA doesn't endorse specific fall protection devices, so any manufacturer claims of "OSHA-approved" products (e.g. skylight glass) are not entirely accurate. If, however, a manufacturer claims a skylight complies with OSHA requirements, it may be adequate if it's verifiably true and those requirements aren't superseded by local regulations.
In addition, OSHA has stated that they will, "as a matter of enforcement policy […] treat the skylight itself as a cover" when the skylight meets the same force standards.
As always, liability still rests squarely on the shoulders of property owners and safety managers to know their equipment inside and out. Can you trust the manufacturer's ratings? Verifying their claims with industry-recognized certification or by conducting your own tests would be smart. Whether you do or not, regulators will hold you to the manufacturer's claim if there's an incident.
You can't go wrong with either if you use a reliable rooftop fall protection company. The decision to choose a skylight cover or guardrail should be based on the inherent qualities of each device, not their manufacturing limitations.
With most fall protection products, it's difficult to find a system that provides robust protection without interfering with either routine work or future reinstallation needs. For example, even when you find a covering that fits, most standard skylight coverings block easy maintenance access. This creates unnecessary work and risk when technicians must remove the fall protection barrier to clean the skylight, check for mold or re-weatherize the seals.
For results that best fit your needs, you can start by looking for the best commercial skylight fall protection vendor, then compare product types. Because skylights can vary dramatically, the most effective skylight fall protection manufacturer can accommodate:
Flat or convex skylight glass
Different mounting points (an important consideration for roof or skylight warranties)
Fixed design vs. open/close mechanisms
Various possible shapes, including square/rectangular, round, or unique forms
Only the most well-designed skylight guardrail or cover meets all these requirements. Assuming you have a reliable source for either, how do you know which to choose?
Skylight fall protection cages are built to stop people and objects from directly contacting the skylight, even in close proximity. Generally, a cover is preferred over guardrails for several reasons:
To allow faster and easier skylight maintenance while complying with fall protection standards
To protect staff if they are performing overhead work that might tempt them to lean over the skylight
To provide maximum space efficiency
On the other hand, you may see reasons to keep employees from even coming near the skylight to begin with. In the following cases, guardrails could be a more effective choice:
Maintaining a wide perimeter to prevent approaching or placing objects on/near the skylight
Ensuring easier skylight removal and replacement (in this case, an OSHA compliant gate/guardrail assembly would be even better)
Securing more artistic or aesthetic skylights, where the view from below is an important factor
If you choose a skylight guardrail, be aware that any work requiring closer proximity than the guardrails allow will require a personal protection device. In that case, you'll also want to invest in high-quality and user-friendly lanyard systems.
Be sure to choose between guardrails and protection cages based on force ratings above other considerations. With both skylight fall protection cages or guardrails, look for the most easy-to-mount solution possible, and ensure the manufacturer will work closely with you to get a custom size when needed.
BlueWater is a leader in reliable rooftop fall protection systems designed for the most challenging conditions. Our engineers and technicians are continually innovating fall protection devices to maximize safety and ease of use for clients in an incredibly broad range of industries. Contact us, and learn answers to all your questions about our commercial skylight fall protection solutions.