Hi all,

Hoping others may been in / have been in a similar situation and might be able to provide details of how they solved the issues of working on warehouse / distribution centre roofs.

We have a number of warehouse, most of them have the fairly common domed style roof. All of them also have skylights (which are fragile). We are currently looking to decided the most approprioate control measure to allow persons safe access on the roof, which is required for:
- monitoring the condition of the roof / guttering etc;
- clearing large accumulations of snow, should this occur; and
- completing repairs

Our main issue is the skylights, most of the warehouses have between 100 - 300 skylights, alot of which are within 2m of each other.

Having reaserched and read the guidance thoroughly I am aware of the reccomended edge protection / demarcation / man safe systems for short and non-short duration work.

However, apart from installing upto 300 demarcation barriers to prevent persons accessing areas within 2m of each fragile skylight (and assuming that access, will, at somepoint in time be required to most areas of the roof) we are struggling to find an alternative.

The only other system I can thing of is installing eye bolts at predemtermined intervals to the entire roof space, operating a permit to work system and ensuring that person are alwasy clipped onto an eye bolt with an appropriate work restraint system at all times. For a running line system to work we would need miles of cable to 'map' the whole roof space.

I have heard of 'portable' man safe systems, but you are presuming persons know where to site the base and have no guraentees this would not be within 2m of the skylights etc. (by install stacitc eye bolts we could be confident that persons will clip on before getting within 2m).

Has anyone else had this issue and has resolved it another way? Prohibiting access entirely is not practicable, due to the tasks that are required to be completed.

Apologies for the long post!

Regards

Jake

The style of roof variers from warehouse to warehouse but they are either a dome or pitched roof (i.e. triangular cross-section as you say).

Where present, the domed roof only has a very slight gradient (at a guess 4 or 5 degrees) and is just a single dome across the roof span - i.e. to walk on it, it would more or less appear 'flat'.

With warehouses that have pitched roofs, valley guttering is present on every roof, but not at every pitched roof intersection (most have 2 valleys running adjacent to the edge of the roof for its entire length approx 4m from the edge).

We have had confirmation from that all roof panels are non-fragile, but the skylights are fragile.

Or

http://www.safesite.co.u...ts/mobile_man_anchor.php

This was recommended to Carillion in Cardiff and as far as i am aware, still being used (i am no part of this company)

a) I wouldn't recommend going on roofs to clear snow.
b) Repairs to roofs where possible should be completed internally from a working platform
c) Gutters can be checked using working platforms (along the sides) and there are moveable gutter guards for valley gutters

HSE publish guidance on roof work HSG33, which gives practical solutions for all sorts of roof work. Download for free.

http://books.hse.gov.uk/...alogueCode=9780717662500