Fall restraint device for roofing
mattseab
| Posted in General Questions on
GBA is my go to for construction advice and I know this is a rather basic question, but is there any fall restraint devices for roffing work that anybody recommends? Thanks, Matt
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Replies
Matt,
OSHA, or whatever your local safety regulator is, will have a variety of options depending on how high the roof, whether it has railings, scaffolding etc. The default solution is to wear a fall protection harness appropriately anchored to the roof framing. They take a bit of time to get used to, but not as long as recovering from a fall.
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/workhorse-roofers-kit-in-re-usable-bucket/1000463635
Thanks Malcolm!
Hi Matthew.
You might consider reaching out to Tim Uhler, @awesomeframers, on Instagram. He posts once in a while about the fall protection he uses when up on the roof, and I trust his opinions. He is super thoughtful about his work. I know this is where he gets his stuff (https://superanchor.com) but you'd have to ask him for the particulars of his set up.
Thanks Brian! Btw I'm working my way through the fine homebuilding podcasts so it was cool to see you responding to my question. I've really enjoyed the podcast and I appreciate the advice!
Awesome. I miss doing the podcast, but still get to make an occasional appearance. Let us know what you go with for fall protection.
I found a JLC article by Tim and ended up going with the werner blue armor 1000. It was fairly inexpensive ($100) and Tim spoke highly of it. I won't be using it much, going to reshingle my roof and use it when I take down some trees via a boom lift so I didn't want to sink a lot of money into it. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction.
What was the name JLC article?
$100 is really, really cheap for a device that could potentially save you from broken bones and a hospital stay or worse. It’s a whole lot better than than the old joke “if you start falling off the roof grab the air line because it’s always snagged on something and will break your fall” ;-)
Note that boom lifts often come with a harness. I’ve spent a lot of time on boom lifts. You’re supposed to have a shock absorbing lanyard and often a 5 point harness too. If you’re renting the lift, the rental place should be able to provide you with the proper harness if it’s not included with the rental already. Just remember to connect the lanyard when you get in (it’s surprisingly easy to forget to do that if you’re getting in and out a lot). Be VERY CAREFUL to keep yourself inside the cage when moving the basket around too — it’s easy to squish your hand otherwise, especially when the lift “bounces” when you abruptly stop movement.
Bill