Any type of work on height carries a danger of a fall. Therefore, the safety of height workers needs to be a priority before even starting the work, to ensure that everyone involved will safely do their job, and not be hurt in the process, or hurt an innocent passerby by falling on them. Working at a height is very dangerous, and companies must put their employees’ safety first. That is why anchor points are so vital.
Fall arrest equipment is fixed or connected to a structure using anchors. To prevent a fall, the anchor must provide enough resistance to carry the weight of a person. There is a distinct kind of anchor point for each building, industry, installation, and work at height.
What are anchor points?
Anchor points are essentially a different sort of safety net. They keep employees who work at extreme heights from falling, preventing harm or death as a result of the fall.
Because anchor points are so important to any height worker, they must be safe to avoid injury.
Depending on the duration of the project, they might be temporary or permanent roof anchor points.
Regardless of the kind, proper and skilled roof anchor point installation is critical; otherwise, the entire purpose of purchasing the equipment is defeated. We strongly advise you to choose a reliable business to correctly install your roof anchor points and protect your workers.
Why install them and how to do it safely?
Roof anchor points have been determined to be important for creating a safe working environment for your employees. It’s worth noting, though, that having roof anchor points isn’t an option for Australian construction firms. It’s a legal requirement.
Even if you believe you won’t need anchor points since the structure is tiny or just has a few storeys, install them nevertheless and utilize them. It is a criminal offense not to have roof anchor points on your building site, and if you don’t follow Australia’s safety rules for working at heights, you might face penalties and lawsuits.
Apart from lawsuits, you should not be worrying if something bad would happen to the people you employ, and a clear conscience cannot be priced. Better to be safe than sorry.
But how to install them safely? During the initial pouring of concrete, certain anchoring connectors must be cast in place, and that is the easiest solution. Once the building is complete, anchoring connectors can be added,from man lifts, scaffolding, or guardrails.
How does it work?
Every building, or even a natural surface such as a cliff can be used as an anchor point. You just need a material strong enough to withhold a large enough screw, to be able to withstand the weight of a height worker. Its primary purpose is to protect workers against inadvertent falls while on the job. Anchor points do it as they provide a firm and stable point on a building where a lifeline or a lanyard is weaved through and attached to a worker.
Those lifelines connect the worker to the building, preventing the fall because they are always tightened to a length shorter than the height of the building.Say a building is 10 meters tall. A lanyard would be 2 or 3 meters long, allowing the worker to do their job effectively, while not being in danger of falling and hurting themselves, or someone beneath them.
The types of anchor points
There are three general types of anchor points. There are roof anchors for commercial roofs, and they are usually required. The non-penetrating fall prevention anchor is utilized in this situation. The parapet clamp and the weighted anchor point are two examples of these anchors.
Residential roof anchors are less expensive than commercial roof anchors. These anchors are most commonly used on basic roofs with a wooden frame. Roof anchors for residential roofs are available in both permanent and one-time usage.
For standing seam roofs, non-penetrating anchor points are the best. Standing seam roofs can be safely connected with clamping devices.
How many should there be?
There is no one definitive answer as to how many anchor points a building should have. It all depends on numerous factors, such as what type of work is being done, how many people are working, how long they will be working for, and is the walking surface directly beneath the working surface?
All these questions require an answer before you can be told a definitive number to put on a roof. Even if you put a hundred anchor points on your roof, that still does not mean that that will be a safe area.
To know exactly what is the number of anchor points you should be putting on your roof, you need to contact a firm to come out and give you an estimate, to create asafe work environment for everyone involved.
From a legal standpoint, anchor points are required for a safe workplace environment, and from a moral standpoint as well. So, don’t ever worry if a height worker is being protected, but know they are – with anchor points.
