28 May 2004 - New Safe Roofwork FactSheet Published
A new factsheet providing basic advice on safe roofwork stressing that working on roofs can be dangerous, and high safety standards are essential however long- or short-term the work, has been published by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.
Some of the precautions outlined in the factsheet are:
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assessing the necessity of working on the roof in the first place, i.e. considering if the work could be done without going on the roof or whether the amount of time on the roof could be reduced
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conducting a risk assessment for all roof work before work starts
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taking fall prevention measures
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controlling falling material
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providing appropriate training.
The types of roof taken into account by the agency include: flat roofs; pitched roofs; fragile roofs; industrial roofing and existing roofs, including old roofs.
The factsheet advises that employees should be consulted on health and safety measures and also before the introduction of new technology or products. Sources of further information and highlighted EU directives relating to roofwork are also listed in the factsheet.
Safe Roofwork can be found here.
