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Work at height and protection against falls
Waste transfer to a responsible tipping area/waste transfer station
Control of hazardous substances
Access to emergency care in the event of an accident
Access
Firstly, we have to think about how we will access the ‘work site’ which, obviously, is at height. Scaffolding is the first choice. Fixed, certified and clearly tagged is the safest form of repeatable access for roof works.
Work at height and protection against falls
The law states that employers must: protect against a fall or the consequences of a fall. But what does that mean? Guard Rails is the easy answer. A more complicated solution would be roped access. But to properly guard against a fall, we have to protect all aspects of a pitched roof, including any gables.
Control of wastes
How will the materials you remove from a roof be disposed of? skip? If so, you can’t just throw waste tiles from a roof; you have to be ‘in control’ and minimise potential dust from construction activity. A rubbish chute, yes, that’s the correct way.
Waste transfer to a responsible tipping area/waste transfer station
Don’t forget to collect and save the waste transfer tickets the driver must give you. If your rubbish can be fly-tipped and traced back to you, you can be fined.
Control of hazardous substances
The products and materials you purchase to re-cover the roof will come with a ‘Safety Data Sheet'. Look for the hazard symbols on those sheets or the materials labels. If they have hazard symbols on, you must have assessed the risks. Flammable materials, for example, you must have strict no-smoking rules and no naked flames. Consider researching COSHH risk assessments.
Training and certification
Those who are carrying out the works must have received competency training in: Work at Height, Access and Egress, Manual Handling, COSHH Awareness and Asbestos Awareness before even setting foot on the upper deck of the scaffolding, let alone the roof. That doesn’t include trade-specific training like slating and tiling.
Access to emergency care in the event of an accident
You should list the nearest available Accident & Emergency Department on your RAMS documents. Unless you are working for another contractor, you can adopt their emergency systems, as they are ultimately in control of the worksite.
You can request help with this by emailing support@myramsapp.com as a paying customer, and our trained advisors will be happy to help.
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