Fragile Roof Examples

No sheeted roof should be relied on to bear a person s weight.

Fragile roof examples.

Roofs can become fragile over time due to natural wear and tear or they might have been fragile from the start. Falls through fragile surfaces particularly fibre cement roofs and rooflights account for 22 of all fall from height fatal injuries in the construction industry. Fragile roofs pose a serious risk to both life and limb throughout the uk with nine people falling to their deaths each year. A significant rise in the number of fatalities involving working on roofs particularly involving fragile roof materials has prompted the health and safety authority to issue this safety alert to highlight the need for stringent health and safety procedures when carrying out this type of work.

Work on fragile roofs should be avoided if there is a safer method to do the work. A roof is considered fragile if it is unable to take the weight of a person stepping onto it. Fragile roofing materials may fracture without warning. Anyone carrying out roof works needs to have suitable training skills and experience.

Workers such as electricians plumbers pest. Falls through fragile roofs and fragile roof lights cause death and serious injury. For example where possible try to replace roof sheets or lights from underneath using a suitable work platform. If working on a fragile roof is still needed try to keep as safe as possible by using stagings guardrails and fall arrest systems as required.

What you need to know. Fragile surfaces skylights holes or vents weather conditions such as wind and rain for example being blown over the edge or slipping on a wet roof surface trip hazards for example roof components and protrusions and overbalancing or losing grip on steep pitched or sloping roofs. Safer methods would involve workers not going onto the roof for example. This leaflet is for building owners and occupiers construction businesses and workers in the construction refurbishment and building maintenance sectors in short anyone working on fragile roofs or having work done.

Fragile roofs are typically found on industrial buildings e g. Working from underneath the roof using a working platform to carry out roof repairs. They account for almost a fifth of all the fatal accidents which result from a fall from height in the construction industry. Safety alert for working on fragile roofs.

Workers undertaking roof work and building maintenance can die or be permanently disabled when they fall through fragile surfaces. It explains which surfaces present a particular risk and what you should do as a building owner or occupier. Fractures can occur so rapidly that a worker could easily fall through the roof suffering serious or even fatal injuries.