Flat Roof Fall Protection Guardrail System - Crown Woods College

Project – Flat Roof Fall Protection Guardrail System

Crown Woods College in Eltham is part of the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme. Building work started in July 2009 and completed in 2011. A series of nine flat roof buildings encompass three schools for children aged 11 – 16 and a six form for 16 – 19 year olds.

The Roof Requirement

The flat roofs were finished in Sika Trocal’s Sarnafil single ply membranes and walkways, access being required for general maintenance, plant and roof inspection. The Roofing Contractor, Prater

Ltd asked roof specialists, Eurosafe Solutions to design, supply and install a flat roof fall protection guardrail that would allow access to the roof with the following key issues in mind:

1) The design should be a flat roof fall protection guardrail offer where possible

2) Minimal training requirement for rooftop access

3) Access routes should be easily identifiable ensuring no exposure to fall hazards

4) Penetration of the roof covering to be avoided

5) The solution to have low/no on-going maintenance requirements

The Solution

A flat roof fall protection guardrail solution was developed following the hierarchy of safety striving to achieve an effective guardrail system  to the whole of the roof area. To develop the strategy two key points need to be established. Firstly, the points of access to the roof are noted. Secondly, the areas of the roof requiring regular maintenance need to be identified—on this project there are air conditioning plant and associated air handling units. From this information the flat roof fall protection guardrail strategy was then created.

D-marc was used extensively as part of the protection system to create clearly defined safe routes across the roof to the places requiring regular maintenance work. D-marc was then used to demarcate the safe working zones upon the roof top. In isolated areas where it was not possible to keep the worker away from the fall hazard a guardrail was used.

The easy to install, non penetrating D-marc system creates a clearly defined route and a safe working zone for all those undertaking maintenance work on the Crown Woods college roofs.