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| A red-colored membrane is installed around all
unprotected roof edges 6 to 10 feet in from the edge to warn workers that they
are nearing the edge and must employ the use of personal fall arrest systems.
The project shown here features white TPO with a red TPO membrane around the
edge furnished by GAF Materials Corporation. Other safety features of the
program include protective screens for skylights, guardrails and gates for roof
hatches, and permanent anchorage points for personal fall arrest systems. The
intent of the safe roof initiative is to give the building owner a finished
project that is equipped to allow workers safe access to perform maintenance
work on the roof and/or roof-mounted equipment |
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What a roofing contractor tells a building owner does
not always guarantee any particular type of behavior once the roofing
contractor departs the premises. After all, it is their building and if they
wish to destroy it that is their prerogative. But it is always a good idea to
have the conversation and even document it before the first callback.
But what do roofing contractors tell building
owners about how workers should access and safely work on the roof? After all,
fall hazards are not exclusive to roofing workers and on the typical roofing
and construction project most forms of fall protection leave with the
contractors.
A few years back, roofing professional Mike
Dolci came up with an idea that would give the building owner more than just a
roof, but a “safe roof.” Dolci’s initiative involved specific roof construction
features but also a set of instructions on how to keep anyone accessing the
roof safe from a fall.
The safe roof initiative begins in the design
phase of roof (or re-roof) construction. It is possible to offer a “safe roof”
to an existing building without a new roof, but the typical installation would
happen during the original construction or as part of a re-roof project. The
first item of the initiative is a survey of the roofing project to define the
safety needs unique to the building.
The Red Zone
The intent of the safe roof initiative is to
give the building owner a finished project that is equipped to allow workers
safe access to perform maintenance work on the roof and/or roof-mounted
equipment. The key features include a red-colored membrane around all
unprotected roof edges 6 to 10 feet in from the edge. The project shown here
features white TPO with a red TPO membrane around the edge furnished by GAF
Materials Corporation of Wayne,
N.J. This “red zone” warns
workers that they are nearing the edge and must employ the use of personal fall
arrest systems (PFAS) if they need to work that close to an unprotected roof
edge. Mineral-surfaced modified bitumen membranes are also available in red.
Other smooth-surfaced membranes and BUR may be painted red using an acrylic
roof coating.
In addition to the red zone all skylights are
topped with protective screens to prevent any worker from falling through.
Smoke hatches are likewise fitted with fall protection and all roof hatches are
fitted with guardrails and gates. A loading zone is established with a
skid-proof surface to protect the membrane and to provide passive fall
protection for workers to use to load materials and tools as may be required to
maintain roof-mounted equipment. In order to provide a connection point for
workers employing PFAS, permanent anchorage points are fitted to purlins and
flashed in as part of the safe roof installation.
With all of the features of the safe roof in
place, workers on the roof may still be at risk for a fall. The missing
ingredient is worker training. If workers are trained to make use of safety
monitors and recognize what the red zone means and how to employ the use of
PFAS they should dramatically reduce the risk of injury from a fall. Further,
any worker who may be required to climb to the roof should be put on notice
that they are entering a zone where fall hazards exist.
With this in mind Dolci recommends, as part of
the safe roof initiative, a set of documents specific to each building site
that incorporates worker training. The worker training includes the type of
fall protection measures that must be taken for different kinds of work and for
accessing different parts of the roof. The training will incorporate proper
access, operation of roof hatches, approaching skylights and roof openings, and
operating in the loading area.
For roofs with unprotected edges and PFAS
anchorage points, complete instructions for the care and use of the PFAS are
included. In fact, a complete full-body harness, safety rope, lanyards, and
everything needed to provide one worker with personal fall protection is
included as a part of the safe roof package. Workers who receive the safe roof
training required for the building will be required to sign a document
acknowledging their training.
So that all workers will be aware of the fact
that they are entering a safe roof, warning signs will be posted as part of the
safe roof installation. The signs will warn workers that only trained personnel
are allowed roof access and will give contact information for facilities
management.
The project shown here is on a building operated
by Avidan Management, LLC, of Elizabeth, N.J. Avidan manages commercial properties, primarily
warehousing and distribution centers in Northern-Central
New Jersey. According to managing member, Avi Avidan, they chose
the safe roof because, “We recognize that safety is a very important factor.”
Avidan Management seeks not only to reduce insurance rates but to provide
services that are distinctive and unique. Avidan believes that proactively
moving to make buildings safer for all buildings makes good sense. He went on
to tell us, “We are going to implement this on every new roof going forward.”
GAF’s Tom Kelly wrote Dolci indicating he felt
that installing the red membrane around the perimeter of the roof was an
outstanding safety feature. All in there is an additional cost for a safe roof
over a conventional system, but it should not make a material difference to
owners who buy in on the concept. The key items are the guards and anchorage
points, which should be included in many situations where they are simply
overlooked or eliminated as a way of cutting costs.
So, will building owners embrace the safe roof
initiative? Time will tell, but as owners continue to demand a safer building
environment for all workers they will look to the construction industry to
provide the solutions. The safe roof initiative seems to go a long way toward
meeting these demands. Arco Roofing owner Eric Baginski tells us his firm
continues to promote features of the Safe Roof initiative and recently
completed a project in Delaware
complete with a complete permanent guardrail system on the perimeter as well as
other safety features. Dolci continues in commercial roofing sales with Jottan
Roofing Inc. servicing clients in the northeastern United States.
