Roofing safety equipment


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Old 08-20-18, 07:37 AM
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Roofing safety equipment

I've seen some supports for working on a roof where you can put a wood plank like a 2x6 on the anchors.
To secure the anchors do I remove the roofing screws and then put them back in with the anchors?
 
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Old 08-20-18, 08:13 AM
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Roofing brackets usually are hooked on roofing nails. When finished they just pound the nails down flat. All nailing should be done underneath a tab so when the bracket is removed the shingle tab covers the nails used to support the bracket.
 
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Old 08-20-18, 08:43 AM
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Forgot to mention, it's a metal roof with screws
 
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Old 08-20-18, 09:09 AM
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Forgot to mention, it's a metal roof with screws and raised seams
 
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Old 08-20-18, 09:14 AM
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I've never used roofing brackets and not sure how they'd work if you're replacing a metal roof. If it's for support for other work it shouldn't be a big deal to screw them in with a metal roofing screw [has neoprene washer] and then tighten those screws down when done. Just make sure there is wood under the metal where you place the screws.
 
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Old 08-20-18, 11:31 AM
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What are you going to be doing that requires the roofing brackets? They are OK if there is a lot of work to do but it's a small job on it's own to get the brackets and the walk board up on the roof. Most roofing people in my area use foam rubber pads. It gives them grip so they don't slide down the roof. Each person has to pads so they put one in front of the other so they can "walk" across the roof.
 
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Old 08-20-18, 06:35 PM
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I need to screw down some parts of the ridge where it's lifted. Got to get up there first. I mean I guess I could just throw a rope over and tie it to the snow barriers on each side and use that as my arrest until I get to the top to secure an anchor on the peak.

Wouldn't the foam pads just slide down the roof ?!
 

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Old 08-21-18, 02:42 AM
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How steep is your roof? I kind of remember pics from your painting posts and I'm thinking it's just a single story with a 4/12 pitch. IMO a good pair of shoes along with making sure the roof is dry is all you need. When painting steep roofs I used to just throw a long rope over the peak [tied off to something good and stable - often my truck bumper] and then secure myself to that rope.
 
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Old 08-21-18, 04:30 AM
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If all your work is along the ridge I wouldn't bother with brackets and walk boards. You'll spend more time setting up your work platform than doing the actual work.
 
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Old 08-21-18, 06:30 AM
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What type of rope is recommended along with the lanyard to connect to a harness?
 
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Old 08-21-18, 06:40 AM
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Like I said in the other thread where you asked this, everything you need is in included in the "bucket of safe-tie". The rope, the anchor, the harness. I would recommend you buy that.
 
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Old 08-21-18, 07:55 AM
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The bucket of safe tie only seems to have a 6ft lanyard.
I need a rope to throw over the roof and secure it to something on the other side like a 25-50ft rope., no?
I have to crawl up the roof and the lanyard can only be secured at the top. I need to get to the top safely first
 
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Old 08-21-18, 08:16 AM
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It has a 50 ft rope. You attach the anchor to the roof. Your rope hooks to that, not to the ground. You would put a ladder up against the gable end and attach the anchor near the top of the roof while standing on the ladder and before getting on the roof. Once the anchor is secured, you clip the rope onto the d ring on the anchor and clip the adjustable end onto your harness. You shorten your rope so you have no slack, then you step onto the roof.

if you don't have a ladder long enough, you could attach the anchor at the bottom of one side, attach the rope and then throw it over the ridge. However that is not safe, because if you fall over the ridge you could slide off. Anchor points are best placed along the ridge.

Getting to the top safely is called "first man up". Workers are allowed by OSHA to do that one time. How you get up there safely is up to you. One way is to attach the rope to the ground and throw it over... then climb up the other side... but you would need to be sure you stay on the opposite side of the peak.
 
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Old 08-21-18, 01:04 PM
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I have a roofers harness kit. It came with the harness which you wear, a lanyard to go from the harness to the rope, and a long piece of special rope with a sliding gripper. My house has some quite high fall areas so I have permanently attached a safety connection point at the peak. I have a safe route I can climb up on a shallow roof pitch, connect in to the anchor then I can roam to the steeper roof areas and areas with high drop offs.

Wearing a harness is annoying. But it does have benefits. My steeper pitch sections are too steep to walk on. Allowing the safety harness to take tension will hold you in place so you can work without sliding. Then when near the edge and staring at a 30ft drop the confidence that proper safety equipment provides is priceless.
 
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Old 08-26-18, 05:58 AM
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The bucket of safe tie I have has a rope grab. The only thing I can;t figure out is how the rope grab stops you in a fall. It seems like you have to angle the rope grab to stop the rope moving through it. There's always the chance that in a fall, the rope grab will not be angled correctly and would allow rope through. How does it arrest you if you fall? I guess the rope will not be straight when falling...

It's similar to one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LANLqEB8Q8

Lastly, I need to work on the entire ridge length yet I only have 1 anchor. I wouldn't want to fall from one end and swing across the roof from the centered anchor. Is it best to get an anchor for each end of the roof or is there a better way?
 
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Old 08-26-18, 06:29 AM
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The rope grab is a one way device that will only move if you grip the device to release it. The instant you let go of it, it locks on the rope. The rope grab can slide up the rope all you want but it cannot slide down on its own. It has nothing to do with the angle of the rope. You have to grip the rope grab to let out more rope.

If the rope grab is 10 feet down the line, it's like you are tied to a 10' long rope. If you move it down to 15' it's like your rope is 15' long. You always keep the rope as short as possible so that you are in fall RESTRAINT. That means you should never have enough rope to go over the edge.

If you are working on the entire ridge you probably need more anchors or just do half the roof from one anchor then move it to the other end to do the other half.
 
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Old 08-26-18, 09:37 AM
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I have seen permanently installed horizontal safety cable along a roof ridge line or roof edge where a fall would be perpendicular to the cable. You can clip in and move along the length of the cable while safely connected and if you fall the cable provides an anchorage without you swinging to the side.

If you do multiple anchorages you'll need a plan how to move from one to the other. In that case I'd position them within arms reach of each other and get two safety lanyards for your harness. You clip into one anchorage then reach across and clip into the next, then unhook from the first. Leap frogging along but always making sure you are clipped into at least one anchor.
 
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Old 08-26-18, 10:43 AM
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Horizontal lifelines are great, they are often used in commercial settings, but they are not practical for homeowners. For one thing they cost a fortune, and for residential use they would have to be custom built to the length of a roof. Most of
​the horizontal lifelines you can buy are much longer than you can use in a residential setting, and they are a little more complicated to set up.
​​
Great in theory though.
 
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Old 08-27-18, 06:06 AM
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It's a 50ft rope so I could throw it over the entire roof, tie it onto the snow barriers on each side and then not bother with the roof anchor at all? That way I am sort of anchored on both sides?
 
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Old 08-27-18, 06:10 AM
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Do what you want. Your snow anchors are not a fall protection d ring. If you anchor at the bottom, throw the rope over the ridge, work on one side but fall over the side that the rope is on, it would be possible you would hit the ground because you have so much rope out. That's why the anchor goes at the top and you keep the rope as short as possible. But I feel like I'm wasting my breath. It's your life not mine.
 
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Old 08-27-18, 07:11 AM
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Just asking for advice - sorry if it's not coming across that way...
I meant anchor on both sides to the snow barriers or attach a ring to the snow barriers, which is secured with the same amount of screws as the normal ridge anchor.
So, it would be 2 anchor points, if I fell from the ridge, either anchor could hold me depending which way I fall. That way it's even safe for first man up as I'm always attached.
 
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Old 08-27-18, 07:39 AM
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A homeowner can do whatever he wants. Those of us in the trades could not do what you propose. Only an osha approved anchor point can be used for fall protection... and it must be attached exactly as the mfg recommends.

You can't attach to chimneys, pipes, snow barriers, or anything else that is not an approved designated attachment point... they are not tested or rated for the forces generated in an actual fall.
 
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Old 08-27-18, 05:40 PM
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Thanks
Thanks
 
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Old 08-27-18, 05:52 PM
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Only thing I might add, is that in cases where you need to create a walkway up a roof... or need to leapfrog your lanyard as you move, the Guardian "hitchclip" system is pretty nice. You can install it as a permanent anchor on your way up a roof, or across the top of a roof. Then if you have a double leg 6 ft lanyard, you can leapfrog from one attachment point to the next while being tied off the entire time.
 
 

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