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Your industrial facility's roof protects the structure as well as everything and everyone inside from the elements. It’s only fitting that you take the necessary steps to protect your rooftop and the people who access it. Autumn is a common time for rooftop maintenance projects, but before you allow anyone to work up there, you first need to make sure it's safe. OSHA requires you to have adequate rooftop fall protection in place to protect employees and anyone else who may be on your roof.
At least once a year, it's a good idea to have your industrial roof inspected, cleaned, and maintained. One of the best times to do that is in the fall, before the snow flies. A few of the maintenance activities that you want to tackle in autumn include:
Performing an inspection of your roof to reveal any areas of the roof that are damaged, worn, or otherwise in need of repair.
Removing debris from the roof to protect the roof membrane from damage and reduce the amount of weight that the roof is subject to.
Tuning up, maintaining, and repairing rooftop HVAC equipment in preparation for the upcoming winter months.
You know that it's your duty according to OSHA 1910.28 to provide fall protection and falling object protection for your employees whenever they work 4' or more above a lower level. This obviously includes your facility's rooftop. And this is the case even if workers are only on your rooftop infrequently to perform routine maintenance or occasional repairs to the roof or rooftop equipment. Areas of the roof to focus on include:
The first fall hazard you will typically notice on your rooftop will be the leading edge, which is usually more than 4' above the ground. The most common means of protecting the people working at heights near a leading edge is with a safety railing, that meets OSHA standards for size and strength as noted later in this article. If your rooftop is not suitable for safety rail systems due to pitch or other issues, you may need to provide a warning line, lifeline, or other rooftop fall protection systems.
In order to create a brighter work environment, skylights are often installed on industrial rooftops. These openings can be a serious fall hazard to employees and other workers on the roof during routine maintenance. That's why it's vital that you use skylight protection like installing a skylight screen or safety railing systems around the skylights.
Convenient access to the rooftop of your facility may be accomplished via a hatch in the roof. The problem is that once the hatch is opened, it becomes a fall hazard for workers. In order to mitigate this hazard, OSHA recommends the use of a safety railing around these openings. In addition, a self closing gate or offset that opens away from the hatch opening is required.
If your rooftop is accessible from the exterior of the building, via a fixed ladder, you'll need to make sure the ladder is OSHA compliant. Guardrails on the rooftop are the recommended solution for this fall hazard. In addition to the railing, you'll also need a ladder safety system or personal fall protection system, as well as a self closing gate at the base of the ladder to protect workers from falling into the ladderway opening.
While it's important for workers to access rooftop equipment like your HVAC system to perform maintenance and repairs, this area should be restricted. Keeping unauthorized workers away from sensitive system equipment with safety rail systems protects them from slip and fall accidents by providing a secure area. A guardrail also protects your equipment from accidental or intentional damage.
You may be wondering what type of fall protection is best for your industrial rooftop and that's a tough question to answer. OSHA doesn't specify whether you should a fall arrest system (Body support,Connector, Anchor) or a passive system (guardrails). That's up to you to decide based on your facility. But for the most part, industrial facilities traditionally rely heavily on passive systems such as, safety rail systems, self closing gates, skylight protection screens, and railings to stay OSHA compliant and keep employees safe. However, due to the job scope it may not be possible to use a passive system, therefore in these situations it will be necessary to use a fall arrest system.
Regardless of whether you're going to primarily be using a passive fall protection system or if you need to incorporate a fall arrest system, they all need to meet OSHA standards. While it's not possible to cite all the OSHA fall protection rules here, you should know the basics regarding safety railing systems, safety gates and personal fall protection devices.
Per OSHA 1910.29(b), top rails of guardrails must be 42" (plus or minus 3") from the walking surface. Railings must be able to withstand a force of 200 pounds without failure on the top rail and 150 pounds on midrails. Guardrails must also be made of a smooth material that won't scratch employees or snag clothing.
OSHA requirements for safety gates are very similar to those for guardrails noted above. You'll want to make sure that your self closing gates and swing gates meet all the size, strength, and material requirements noted in OSHA 1910.29.
When workers are required to use a fall protection system such as a full body harness, connecting device, and anchorage connector, it's your responsibility under OSHA 1910.140 to make sure they're compliant. This includes inspecting the devices before each use and ensuring they meet the strength requirements.
Your facility's rooftop and rooftop equipment need occasional maintenance and repairs in order to function as they should. That means workers will need to gain access to the roof and they'll have to spend some time up there. Keeping them safe with passive rooftop fall protection such as a safety railing system, safety gates, skylight protection devices, personal fall protection equipment, and other OSHA compliant equipment is imperative.
Contact the fall protection experts at BlueWater to learn more about the importance of fall protection for rooftop work, including maintenance and repairs. Our safety experts will be happy to assist you in finding the right fall protection for your facility.