Roof Fall Protection for Large Manufacturing Facilities

Roof fall protection is often thought of as a construction issue; indeed, fall protection in that industry was the most cited OSHA violation again in 2019. However, rooftop fall hazards can present themselves in many industries, including manufacturing. And larger manufacturing facilities require a number of fall protection solutions to keep their employees safe.

In 2018, walking and working surfaces and personal protective equipment were among the most common violations in the manufacturing industry, and those considerations are important on industrial roofs as well as inside the building. Slippery surfaces (due to grease, for example), clutter, and ladders can compound the inherent risk of working at heights. When combined with inadequate or inappropriate PPE, rooftop workers are extremely vulnerable to falls and injury incidents.

Large industrial roofs present a far different landscape than what a worker might find on a residential roof. Both have their unique hazards and considerations. These are a few of the roof fall protection challenges the safety manager of a large manufacturing facility has to consider, along with the safety equipment, like a guard rail or horizontal lifeline system, that can help keep employees safe.

Uneven Levels

First, there are multiple leading edges to consider: "OSHA requires that fall protection be provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces...". If the second level is four feet or more above the first, additional safety railings will be necessary. They may also be required if a level that is under four feet high is positioned above a skylight, solar panels, or another obstacle or piece of equipment.

From there, you have to consider how employees will access these multiple levels—typically, it's by stairs or ladders, which both come with their own safety regulations. Ladders can be fixed or portable and must meet standards for quality, set-up, and usage. Safety equipment like the Ladder Guard and Ladder Defender can help prevent unauthorized access to the ladder.

Rooftop Obstacles

The industrial roof is littered with obstacles that must be navigated by anyone with rooftop access, and each type of obstacle may require different safety measures.

• Solar Panels: These take up a lot of space, reducing the workable area on the roof—and forcing employees to work closer to the edge. It's also important to reduce the risk of an employee falling onto the panels, which may call for the use of portable safety railings around the panels.
• Skylights: OSHA standard 1910.28 calls for employees to be "...protected from falling through any hole (including skylights) that is 4 feet (1.2 m) or more above a lower level..." via a guard rail, skylight cover, and/or personal fall arrest system. A guard rail or cover should also be used on other types of holes that are less than four feet above a lower level to prevent employees from tripping or falling into them.
• Access Hatch: A roof hatch can benefit from a guard rail, like the GrabBar, to make ingress and egress through the hatch easier. The Hatch Defender includes a self-closing safety gate to prevent accidental hatch access. Hatches should, of course, be kept closed when not in use, but in some cases they must be left open to pass tools and equipment to people on the roof. In these cases especially, a guard rail and a personal fall arrest system are appropriate.
• HVAC Units: These can limit sight lines and workable space and should be blocked off with safety railings to prevent an employee from falling against it or tripping over it. For people working on the HVAC unit itself, guardrails can be positioned around it to allow enough workable space while keeping the employees away from the edges of the building.

Special Rooftop Membranes

Each type of rooftop membrane used on large manufacturing facilities comes with its own advantages and varying degrees of cost-effectiveness, durability, and versatility. However, certain membranes may pose additional risk to workers, as they can become especially hot in the sun or slippery when wet.  A horizontal lifeline system can prevent employees from getting too close to the edge, though you may also have to consider certain footwear or canceling rooftop tasks during rainy or snowy conditions.

Leading Edges - and Lots of Them

Some industrial roofs don't have permanent safety railings for aesthetic purposes. However, these buildings are typically large—which means they have a lot of space to work on, and a great length of edges that pose a fall hazard. Even if there's one worker on the roof once a year, roof fall protection must be in place for that worker.

A horizontal lifeline system is a great solution in these circumstances when the employee must work close to the edge. In other cases, where the work occurs in the middle of the roof, a temporary guard rail around the workspace or along the leading edge may be enough.

Developing Your Safety Strategy for Roof Fall Protection

Your rooftop employees should be thoroughly trained in the proper use of everything used on the roof, from ladders to personal fall arrest systems. They should also be taught to identify and report hazards and insist on a safe workplace. Make sure you remove debris, like branches, wet leaves, or anything else that may have fallen or blown onto the roof. Watch for wet areas and, at the minimum, mark them as potentially slippery.

Make sure your safety equipment is appropriate for the tasks at hand. In general, you will need safety railings, personal fall arrest systems, or both on a large industrial roof. Specialty equipment like safety gates, Skylight Defenders, and more can provide an extra layer of protection around obstacles and access points.

The safety of rooftop workers is a priority, yet you can't afford to damage the roof to install the proper safety railings and other equipment. An installation that causes a leak can damage not only the roof and the building, but all the expensive equipment and products you hold inside. That's why you'll likely want non-penetrating safety systems - they provide the OSHA-compliant protection you need without any risk of damage to your roof.

We supply OSHA-compliant fall protection equipment for companies in a variety of industries, including manufacturing. If you have any questions about what equipment you need to protect workers in your facility, contact us.