You Should Know

As any roofer knows, working at heights is a dangerous business. According to the HSE, roof workers account for a quarter of all those who are killed in a fall, the biggest category of worker by far.

Protecting yourself, and others, against falls means having the right equipment, knowledge, skills and experience to work safely. The Health and Safety at Work Act (HASWA) 1974 places duties on everyone involved, whether employed, self employed or an employer.

Duties of Employees

• Maintain a safe working area
• Report any safety hazards
• Wear all appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E)
• Check all equipment and use correctly
• Carry out risk assessments
• Comply with training and instructions
• Co-operate with employers and observe all notices
• Don’t alter any access equipment unless you know what you’re doing

Duties of Employers

• Avoid work at height where possible
• Plan all work at height properly
• Ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees
• Provide and maintain plant, systems and equipment
• Make arrangements for the transportation of articles and substances
• Provide information, instruction, training and supervision as needed
• Inspect access equipment
• Provide Personal Protection Equipment
• Carry out risk assessments

Minimising health & safety risks makes sense – identify the issues and choose the right access equipment:

• How high is the job from the ground? What safety and access equipment will you need?
• What surface will the access equipment rest on? (E.g. a wall, cladding, etc). Is it strong enough to take the weight of the workers and equipment?
• What is the ground condition? Is it sloping, muddy or uneven? Access equipment needs to be stable, level and not liable to fall or collapse.
• What are the weather conditions? Will they affect the job?
• What tools and materials do you need for the roof work? How will you get them up and down safely?

However much you try, it’s impossible to make working at height completely safe but a bit of thought can go a long way when it comes to preventing an accident. Safety in the roofing industry affects everyone and could save your life. See www.hse.gov.uk/falls.