Any building work carried out at height is hazardous and requires health and safety procedures to keep workers safe.
Why are guidelines important?
In the construction industry, 25% of all deaths are due to roof work, making health and safety a priority for those undertaking it. Not everybody who goes up on a roof is trained as a roofer; they may simply be doing maintenance work, and if they don’t have experience, this can result in falls that result in serious injuries or death.
Who needs to know about them?
Guidance on accessing roofs is available not only for construction workers, but also designers, surveyors and clients. Anyone who is involved in the planning or supervision of roof work should be aware of the risks and mitigations before a project is started.
The Advisory Committee for Roof Safety has advice for clients looking for a roofing contractor which suggests checking whether they have policies for ‘safe systems of work’ and if these are regularly updated. It also says there should be site supervision by roofers who are trained and have practical experience.
If you want to find roofing companies Bristol, there are a range of firms, and the National Federation of Roofing Contractors has lists of recommended roofing companies in Bristol and other parts of the south west.
If you are hiring from roofing companies in Bristol, it’s worth checking that they have experience of working with your roof type, that they have insurance and ask for examples of other work they’ve done.
Health and safety protocols can be accessed free on the Health and Safety Executive website and cover all work on roofs, including repair and maintenance, demolition, cleaning and new builds, in addition to specific guidance on fragile roofs.
