Health and safety in roof work.
This is a web version of the printed edition Health and safety in roof work (Fifth Edition).
Working on roofs is a hazardous activity because it involves working at height. Roof
work accounts for a quarter of all deaths in the construction industry. Falls through
fragile materials, such as roof lights and asbestos cement roofing sheets, account for
more of these deaths than any other single cause. Not all the people killed while
working on roofs are trained roofers: many people accessing roofs are maintenance
workers. There are also many serious injuries, often resulting in permanent disabilities.
This fifth edition contains guidance on how to plan and work safely on roofs. It covers
new buildings, repair, maintenance, cleaning work and demolition. It also includes some
guidance for people not directly carrying out work on a roof, such as clients, designers
and specifiers.
Roof work is an issue not just for construction companies. Other workers, such as
building maintenance staff and surveyors, can also fall from or through roofs. This
guidance will be useful to anyone planning, arranging or supervising roof work,
including:
■ directors and partners of companies who carry out roof work;
■ clients of projects involving roof work;
■ designers and specifers of buildings and components;
■ principal contractors for projects that include roof work;
■ owners of buildings where roof work may take place;
■ trade union safety representatives and employees’ safety representatives;
■ anyone carrying out roof work, including employees and the self-employed; and
safety consultants and adviser
PLANNING FOR SAFETY
11 Planning is vital to ensure safety in any size of building or roof work project, from shortduration minor work, such as surveying or replacing a few tiles on a house, to the major
refurbishment of an existing property. Planning by all parties involved helps to make sure the work
is carried out safely, effciently and without undue delay.
12 Where they apply, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)1
identify
the role of each party of a construction project and set out specifc requirements to follow. For more
information, see the chapter entitled ‘Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015’.
13 However, not all roof work falls within the definition of construction work (eg gutter cleaning),
and in this case CDM would not apply. It is therefore essential that the hazards associated with
working at height are recognised and understood by the client or customer who commissions or
arranges for the work to be carried out and the designer, where there is one. (Note that a designer
may be a contractor who produces a specification or scheme of work and may not be from a
professional design or architectural practice.)
14 The client or customer must make sure that the individual or company they have employed to
carry out roof work is competent to do so and is aware of the hazards and precautions to be taken
for the work to be carried out safely. (For more information see paragraphs 18–22 and 303–316.)
They should also make sure that any materials selected will not create additional hazards for future
maintenance, access or demolition of the property (see paragraphs 319–331).
15 Roof work usually involves work at
height and it is important to prevent or
minimise risk when planning this work.
Falls account for 50% of deaths in the
construction industry (and a quarter of all
workplace deaths in Great Britain). As
part of this planning process, you must
follow the hierarchy set out in the Work
at Height Regulations 2005 to make sure
that risks are controlled so far as is
reasonably practicable. In these
Regulations there is no distinction
between low and high falls, so for any
work at height (where a fall is liable to
cause personal injury), appropriate
precautions are required to prevent or
minimise that risk.
There are many reasons why someone may need to work on a roof, ranging from minor
inspection to major re-roofing works. There are also many other reasons for accessing roofs, such
as servicing or maintaining plant, installing or adjusting aerials or cleaning gutters. As a result,
there are various safeguards to consider, depending on the type of work planned.
89 Remember that all roof work is potentially dangerous, however short-lived.
Inspection and survey
90 If inspectors and surveyors cannot avoid
going onto a roof, they will be exposed to
serious hazards, so high safety standards
will be required.
91 Inspection is often necessary where a
problem (eg a leak) has been identified or
before refurbishment. It should always be
done with care and by people trained and
experienced in assessing the risks involved.
Initially, in accordance with the hierarchy,
avoid work at height where possible – eg by
remote inspection using drones (where
permitted), mast photography or videography
where only visual inspection is required. The
operator remains at ground level and
controls the direction and zoom of the
camera. The pictures are then fed live to a
screen where they can be viewed immediately.
When using such systems, operators should
take care to avoid overhead hazards such as
electrical cables (see Figure 10).
92 Where you cannot avoid work at height,
access to the roof should be planned and
any risks associated with the work should be
risk assessed and mitigated. If possible,
carry out the work out from a safe place.
This could be from an adjacent structure
using binoculars, from mobile access
equipment (see Figure 11) or from a secured
tower scaffold or ladder. Some investigations
can be carried out from below if the roof
structure is exposed.
Refurbishment and re-roofng
94 Roof refurbishment can be complex, is always high-hazard and demands careful planning – a
high proportion of accidents occur where this work is being carried out:
■ On any refurbishment or re-roofng job, all surfaces should be treated as fragile unless a
competent person has confrmed otherwise (see Appendix 4).
■ The precautions to prevent people falling through fragile parts of the roof should be clearly
identifed. They do not have to be complex but they must be effective. The Work at Height
Regulations 2005 require that no person at work should pass across or near or work on, from
or near a fragile surface where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work safely without
them doing so.
■ Where practical, replace roof lights from below, using a proprietary replacement and fxing
system or work from above by remaining in a MEWP cage.
95 To prevent accidents occurring:
■ close liaison with the client will be necessary where premises remain occupied during
refurbishment;
■ a structural survey may be required to confrm the strength or stability of roof members; and
■ a risk assessment should be carried out when deciding whether to refurbish or replace fragile
roof coverings. For example, the decision on whether to clean and seal or replace an existing
asbestos fbre cement roof should take into account the additional risks from work at height,
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Health and safety in roof work
exposure to asbestos fbres and cost of future maintenance (see paragraph 260). Where you
are planning cleaning, consider whether it is necessary – is it being carried out only for
aesthetic reasons? If it is required, you must use a safe system (see paragraphs 187–202).
106 The stripping of roofs to reclaim various roofng materials during demolition has often involved
unsafe working practices. Provide a suitable scaffold at eaves level to all elevations; this gives safe
access to the roof and room for storage of materials. Inform the scaffolding contractor of the
intended loading and take care not to exceed this. You may need to give specifc guidance to site
supervisors on the maximum number of tiles or slates per scaffold bay.
107 Timber battens deteriorate with age. Do not use them as footholds unless they have been
inspected by a competent person who has confrmed that they are strong enough. If in doubt,
regard them as fragile.
Figure 12 Valley walker used during gutter cleaning. This provides a
protective mesh covering to either side of the operative, which moves
progressively along the roof as the worker moves forward. The protective
covering eliminates the risk of a fall through the fragile material (image
courtesy of Safesite Limited
Figure 13 Access system for short-term maintenance work on a fragile roof
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Health and safety in roof work
108 Never use timber battens as anchorage points for harnesses.
109 The removal of roof coverings may introduce instability of the roof structure. Seek an
engineer’s advice to outline the stability measures required. As the roof is stripped, you must take
steps to prevent internal falls, for example, through the roof joists. There are various options
available including:
■ boarding out or using proprietary covers for the roof joists to provide a suitable working
platform (see Figure 14(a));
■ erecting a birdcage scaffold underneath the work area;
■ crate or platform/safety decking systems, which can be used to create a crash deck or
working platform underneath the work area;
■ using beanbags/airbags as soft landing systems (see Figures 14(b) and 14(c));
■ netting the underside of the roof;
■ where ground conditions are stable, consider using mobile access equipment; and
■ harnesses as the last option considered. Use them only where appropriate safe anchorage
points are available and there is sufficient space clear of obstructions below the working
position should a fall occur.
A teenager fell 10 m to his death while removing slates from a roof. The slates were being
reclaimed before full demolition. They were stored on a small area of fat roof adjacent to
the pitched roof. He was loading the slates onto an inclined hoist when he fell. No edge
protection was provided at the fat roof.
110 Mechanical handling devices and waste chutes (see Figures 4 and 6) are particularly useful in
demolition where large quantities of waste and reclaimed materials are removed from roofs.
111 Demolition of buildings with fragile roof sheets or liners needs careful planning. CDM 2015
requires that all those (including clients) who appoint contractors are satisfied that they have the
necessary competence and resources. Resources include the time needed to plan and carry out the
work safely.
112 Asbestos cement sheet is a fragile material and you cannot rely on it to support someone’s
weight. If the asbestos cement sheets are in good condition and it is possible to provide safe
access, preferably from underneath (eg using scissor lifts), take the sheets down whole from
underneath. Do not drop or damage the sheets but lower them to the floor. Dispose of them by
carefully transferring them to lockable vehicles or skips, or by wrapping them intact in heavy-duty
sheet plastic. For advice on the disposal of waste asbestos sheets visit the government web pages
on hazardous waste.14
113 If the roofing sheets are in poor condition (ie liable to break when handled), or if you cannot
provide safe access and the risk of falling is too great, then remote demolition is preferred. This
could be by machine, such as a pusher arm or deliberate controlled collapse. In this case, you should
follow the precautions outlined in Appendix 5 to control the spread of asbestos.
114 While remote demolition can be necessary in some cases, do not do it without careful
consideration. Where asbestos materials are involved, careful planning and suitable precautions are
needed to reduce the spread of asbestos fibres.
A demolition foreman was removing asbestos cement roof sheets from a factory roof when
he fell 7.5 m through the fragile roof to the concrete floor below. He received multiple injuries
from which he died four weeks later. No equipment was provided on the roof to allow the
work to be carried out safely.