The law stipulates the obligation to ensure that persons are protected against falls from height during all work on buildings throughout their lifespan. This obligation also applies to buildings with pitched roofs, where it becomes an even bigger technological challenge.

First of all, the question arises as to whether a pitched roof can be secured with conventional anchoring eyes – there are many on the market after all. It is generally possible, but not recommended. For most pitched roof coverings it is preferable to use dedicated devices. First of all, it is very difficult and expensive to install conventional anchor points on a pitched roof (they can be easily installed only at a roof hatches, roof ridges, or where they can be anchored to a vertical wall structure). Secondly, it should be borne in mind that with pitched roofs, workers are not only exposed to the risk of falling from height at the roof edge, but also of sliding off the pitched surface of the roof, which is always the case at slopes greater than 25°.

So what equipment should be used to secure a flat roof? Determining an answer that would apply in every case is not possible. The type of equipment used depends mainly on the type of roofing, the supporting/base structure, the direction of the expected load, and the number of people who will load one anchor point. However, the equipment will generally consist of hooks, stainless steel anchoring eyes, and special anchor points possibly, e.g. used to guide stainless steel cables.

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Depending on the type of covering, the following products are most often used:

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• Slate and tile roofing – specially shaped roof hooks anchored to a wooden beam, which are often also used for hanging ladders
• Tile covering – where the placing of stainless steel cable is a necessity, anchoring eyes with a rod support anchored from the side onto the rafters are used
• Layered slate roof covering – straight form of roof hooks with the possibility of suspending ladders
• Sheet metal covering – cable attachments anchored to standing grooves, with the need to take into account the type of sheet metal to eliminate any risk of corrosion
• Standing seam metal roof covering – cable attachments with eyes, hooks, and special attachments for stainless steel cables

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The problem of providing protection on pitched roofs is very complex, so do not hesitate to ask our experienced experts. We offer a wide range of safety systems for pitched roofs that meet all legal requirements and ensure maximum safety at work. Contact us for more information, to have an overall design drawn up, or to order individual elements yourself.

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