In the drive for cheap(er) energy and to meet carbon reduction targets etc, we are in the process of retro fitting Photovoltaic Systems on several of our buildings. Our first installation was on a large flat roof, which went well in terms of H&S (apart from a scaffolder’s lorry running down hill and demolishing a wall!). We now have an installation which works well, but no thought was given on how safe access for maintenance was to be achieved. This has caused “emotional difficulties” between various project team members, but we have put together a complicated system that involves a large dose of supervision and demarcation, far from ideal but better than nothing. You could say it would be a good case study on how not to do CDM. I am now faced with three more installations that need to be put in place a.s.a.p (The “feed in tariff” is due to change apparently). These installations are to be fitted to sloping roofs, by a design & build company. I have asked the question of our project manager, about future maintenance as although these things are sold as maintenance free, we all know that this is usually not the case. My argument is that CDM designers duties require the provision of information on how to safely maintain, the argument coming back at me is maintenance would be so infrequent, that we should adopt a “cross that bridge when we come to it” approach. I would greatly appreciate any thoughts from CDM experts as to whether I am being too pedantic, and if anyone knows any guidance in this area that they could point me to, it would also be much appreciated.

I'm with Paul on this - need for access is said to be infrequent - deal with it as and when required. Certainly I've not demanded any permanent fall prevention on my (house) roof which now has PV panels. Visiting my wife in hosptial I noticed large PV arrays on flat roofs - where conventional guardrails have been fiited to roof edge - as would be expected for any such location. Woudl one expect permamanent safeguards for say gutter cleaning? A task that may need to be carried out every few years - perhaps not. But if one had, say, a monitoring device that needed to be inspected daily or weekly then I would suggest permanent edge/fall protection would be a must. Isn't it all down to "exposure" - that is poople, frequency of acess, work to be done etc etc.? Phil

I sincerely hope the panels are designed for wind loading with a much greater return period than ten years, and even if they were they should not detach under a ten year storm. I would consider PV panels that might detach under 10-year wind loading an unacceptable design criterion. Current building wind loading, as set out in BS-EN-1991-1-4, is a characteristic loading with 50 year return period, and has additional safety factors added, and strengths assumed also have safety factors. To current codes, you should only adopt a lower return period fore wind loading if your structure has a service life less than one year (that's in BS EN 1991-1-6 with specific reference to loads during construction, but should be applied to any short-term configuration, imo). If the panels have a 25 year service life they should not see loads of a magnitude equal to their design condition at all. (Slightly more formally, the chance of them seeing loads equal to their design condition should be low, and the chance of them having strength that is not greater than their design condition should be very low, so the chance of them detaching during the 25 years service life should be very very low).

mw64, 'but no thought was given on how safe access for maintenance was to be achieved' I'd hope it was thought about in line with his statutory duties, even if SFAIRP the 'cross that bridge' approach was the solution. Going forward, ask the designer for his health and safety considerations at an early stage (even if via the PM). If you think they are weak, challenge them - I do! Seek justification for design decisions regarding health and safety but make sure construction and deconstruction issues are considered too.

Achrn Thanks for that. Next some genius suggests that we fit our roof with photovoltaic cells- it has been mooted in the past; I can quote this. You can found out some useful stuff on this forum.