Roof Safety

One way I justified getting my climbing gear was to think that it could assist me in safely dealing with my own trees and my own house work. I am curious if others here have developed schemes for roof and house work. I'm still trying to decide on the best approach for the anchor(s). I am considering a large eye bolt in the center of the roof and one on each end of the house above the gable vents. I ought to be able to access these locations from within the attic crawlspace to properly secure the bolts.

Yep, I've assisted a contractor friend with some anchor points and rigging for high work. A permanent anchor on the roof is a great idea. One thing to consider setting up this up is that tree gear is designed for positioning under rope tension, not for fall arrest. If you get on your roof with tree gear, you have to keep your weight on the rope at all times (same as when you're in a tree). If you want to be able to work without rope tension you need to look at fall arrest systems. These typically involve a fall arrest harness with integrated shoulder straps and a dorsal attachment point for attaching a shock absorbing lanyard.

I've lowered myself onto roofs from trees and it's not a good feeling, feels much safer on the tree then on a roof. A roof is a form of a limbwalk really, you have to be aware of any swing potentials if you lose your footing and create backup tie-ins where needed to prevent uncontrolled swing.
-moss

Well, this is turning out to be more confusing than expected because most eye bolts are not rated for side loading, and those that are have shoulders -- which may imply some specific mounting presumptions. I may have to give up on the idea of using eye bolts and instead maybe use ss cable eyes or cables looped through a rated ring.

You might review what is available, and rated, at the following URL: http://www.snugharness.com/Anchors/Roof-Anchors/
In that way you won't \"reinvent the wheel\". You'll probably find a good value there. Let the \"ten dollar head/ten dollar helmet\" adage be your guide. I don't think you want to achieve your savings by short-cutting on safety equipment. Rather, save by discounting your labor, which I think was your original intent.
Climb safe.

There are quite a few safety equipment companies that carry roof system and anchors:

http://fallarrest.rtrk.com/?scid=560573&kw=4719139

http://www.criticaltool.com/miller-body-belts--lifelines-and-straps-ra40.html?utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ProdCodeB

http://www.bestmaterials.com/Roof_Anchor.aspx

http://www.ussafetyequipment.com/HTML/roofanchors.html

There are literally hundreds of choices for roof anchors, on the web.

Well, the problem with most of these products is that they seem to be intended for a roof without shingles, as a protection system for professional roofers, and can't easily be installed on a finished roof.

No. Not really. Many of these can be installed UNDER shingles. So yeah, some shingles must be removed, but after the anchor installation the shingles are replaced. Permanent anchor.

I suggest a qualified roofer.

Super Anchor #2816 RS-20 20-gauge stainless steel universal permanent rooftop anchor with fastener kit & installation instructions. Complies with OSHA 1926:502(d)15. Quantity discounts available - please call for current price. Price/Kit. RS-20 is an anchorage device for high and low profile roof tiles that does not require a flashing system and can be retro-fitted onto existing roofing. Uses two layers of 20 gauge stainless steel, the anchor attaches at the ridge, the hip or in the field and is easily conformed to the pan or barrel section of the tile. By penetrating under an overlapping course the need for a flashing system is eliminated. Attachment to the framing is easily accomplished using supplied 10ga stainless steel spiral shank nails. A minimum of two anchors are required to provide fall protection for both sides of the roof. (Install about one per side per 1000 sq.ft. area). The RS-20 is also compatible with asphalt shingles, wood shake, metal, slate, copper and \"simulated tile\" metal roofs.

Are ya ready for the best part? From this company, the cost is 30 bucks! http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=14857

This one from MSA doesn't require the removal of shingles.

http://www.msanorthamerica.com/catalog/product757.html

Dave,
Here's an article from a pro roofers site.
http://www.professionalroofing.net/article.aspx?id=890

I can understand on some larger municipal buildings that a huge tie in loop could be installed at the top of the roof that would last for centuries. But most of these \"Permanent\" tie ins for roof installation do not look like they would last forever.

If I was having a high quality roof installed, one that would consider the installation of permanent anchors, I would not expect anyone to have to be back up on that roof for quite some time. Maybe a paint job or something in 10 years, We never even have to paint our old standing seam more than every 5-10.

Would you want to just hop up on someones roof as a professional, and trust a tie in to some loop that someone else installed almost a decade ago??? I'll stick to our usual system of ropes and ladders.

Carl

Culinarytracker wrote:

Would you want to just hop up on someones roof as a professional, and trust a tie in to some loop that someone else installed almost a decade ago???

Independent professional or employee or mere homeowner? I think any tie-in would be better than none, since you can look at it and then decide if you want to use it or not.

I have a hard time finding a harness that comfortably fits. The harness is only one part of a personal fall arrest system. It’s called a system because all the components the harness, lanyard, rope-grab, rope and roof anchor are carefully engineered to work together. Consider splitting the cost with friends or neighbors and sharing the kit.