Posted By Jon Robinson
We have an issue with adolescents using fire escape stairs and climbing over a waist high railing to get access to a flat roof that is 2 storeys high in places. There is a car park to one side and a playground to the other. Apart from the railing at the top of the fire escape stairs there is no other form of edge protection. The adolescents are at the site having been excluded from schools due to their behaviour, so an extremely difficult group to deal with in the first place. They access the roof during the day, and apparently use it for sunbathing as well! The area is covered by CCTV, but this does not deter the adolescents. The centre staff have put a sign up saying unauthorised access is prohibited, but again this does not seem to be deterring anyone!

Does anyone have any ideas on what could be done to try and prevent the unauthorised access. Edge protection all around the roof is likely to be prohibitively expensive, but is the only idea so far.

Also does anyone have thoughts on what are liability would be if they fell off the roof.

Thanks for your your help in advance

Jon

Posted By Tabs
Sadly, there is a liability issue and you are right to be concerned, as a fall could result in fatality.

You could make the fire escape door a one-way access from the inside(locking a fire escape might not be a good idea if you have a fire).

At the waist high fence you could raise the height, or add razor wire (away from younger children's reach though please).

Posted By Jon Robinson
Hi Tabs

Yes its an external staircase, but I still like the locking the door option!

A previous H&S officer to me had looked at this and had recommended against raising the height of the railings as he felt it would encourage them to take more risks in climbing over it. However, I think I will look at this again in light of the comments here.

Cheers

Jon

Posted By Jon Robinson
Adrian

Unfortunately where the external stairs meet the flat area of the roof, there is only the waist high railing between the stairs and the roof. So I don't think anti-climb paint would work there.

Although the anti-climb paint is a useful idea for another site, thanks.

Jon

Posted By Tabs
Jon, I think Adrian was suggesting the anti-climb paint being used on the roof surface itself.

On the same vein (vane?) anything which makes the roof unpleasant to lie on could be used, so long as it isn't pebbles that can be thrown at the cars parked adjacent ;-)

Posted By Clarke Kent the 2nd
Some incredibly thick tar for the first 2m of the roof would stop them, as they wouldn't want to ruin their stolen £100+ nikey trainers

Posted By Gff
re last post

you should really try and offer some advice that will work!

Posted By Jon Robinson
Thanks for all the responses, some useful ideas in there.

My gut instinct is to try and prevent access to the roof from the external fire escape by raising the height of the barrier and go from there.

Thanks again

Jon

Posted By Ken Taylor
I've dealt with this problem in the past by installing a high-level gate and fence around the foot of the external stairs. This had to be solid enough in the right places to prevent access from the exterior to an interior push-pad for emergency exit purposes. If access is also required from ground-level by authorised persons, a key-operated lock can be incorporated on the outside of the gate.