Posted By Rik Hutchins
I am currently undertaking flat roof assessments for the estates department of a large university. It has approximately 250+ flat roofs, ranging from the very large, with high volumes of plant, to small roofs with no plant on them at all. All are over 2m in height with some 14 stories high. Some of the roofs require access almost routinely with others needing access only for specific maintenance tasks or routine tasks such as gutter cleaning. Now here's the problem, some have good edge protection i.e. fixed barriers to all elevations, some have limited i.e. fixed barriers but only 600mm or so high and some have nothing what's so ever. I have read lots of literature concerning a safe place of work etc and am still unclear, I am led to believe that fixed barrier protection should be provided, painted walkways are not suitable etc. Can anyone give me a clearer understanding on what advice I should be starting from, surely I can't insist that all roofs that are accessed require fixed edge protection at least 900mm high or can I?

Posted By Ken Taylor
Paul has rightly referred you to HSG33. Where persons generally require access to flat roofs (eg recreational use and fire escape routes) installed edge protection, parapets, guide rails, lighting, etc will be necessary according to the circumstances. Where your employees are required to work on flat roofs (eg maintenance and cleaning) you will need site-specific risk assessments and written arrangements for access and safe working - which may include temporary barriers or fall-restraint systems. As to fall-arrest, I would suggest that this may well be the last thing to consider if other reasonably practicable measures cannot be used. Where flat roofs are to be worked upon by contractors, I would suggest making them aware of any existing risk assessments and safe working methods but requiring them to provide their own as part of the evaluation of their competence before awarding the contract. For some short-term work where there is no need to work within 2m of an unprotected edge in good weather and temporarily protecting all unprotected edges would not be a reasonably practicable proposition, it might be reasonable to say in the method statement that no-one must approach within 2m of an unprotected edge and to have markings to indicate these areas. As to the height of edge protection where persons are working without fall-restraint or arrest equipment, 910mm would be the appropriate min height together with the equivalent of a 150mm toe-board and no vertical gap wider than 470mm. Whenever I am involved in the design of new buildings, I always try to get adequate parapets designed in - despite the frequent wishes of architects (sometimes supported by planners) to go for the installed fall-arrest system option.