Standard Risk

Assessment
ROOF 005a

[Member Company Name]

Work on Flat Roofs

Operation:
Potential
Hazards:

Persons
Affected:

Fall of persons or materials from height.

Fall of persons or materials through fragile material.
Falls of persons or materials through roof openings.
Bitumen boilers.
Fire
Unauthorised access to the work area.
Manual handling of materials.
Operatives / Site
Workers

Client
Staff

Public

Control
Measures
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All roof work sites will be fully surveyed by a trained, competent person prior to any work
commencing and will include assessment of adverse weather conditions and overhead
services or other hazards. Should any overhead services exist on site, HSE document GS6
and the local utility company must be consulted.
A written safe system of work, detailing all work procedures, will be prepared by a
trained, competent person and kept on site, readily available to all concerned parties for
reference purposes. A standard procedure may be adopted or adapted.
The site works are to be controlled and coordinated by a competent person at all times.
All operatives engaged within the work activity will be competent for their allotted task.
All roof openings, when not worked on, will be covered and/or guarded and clearly
delineated. Covers should be fitted to the external of the roof and be greater in size than
the opening. Plywood or similar materials must be of sufficient strength to hold the weight
of a person or materials.
Full edge protection will be fitted on all roof elevations to which access is needed where
there is a risk of a person or materials falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.
Where independent scaffold edge protection is not reasonably practicable, barriers high
and strong enough to stop a person rolling or sliding down a roof slope, will be attached to
the structure.
A competent person will carry out the statutory inspections of scaffolds and maintain a
written record of such inspections:
1. Before initial use
2. At regular intervals, not exceeding 7 days from the last inspection; and
3. After any substantial alteration or after any event likely to have affected the
scaffold strength/stability.
Appropriate and sufficient personal protective equipment, will be worn and enforced at all
times during the work activities and close to the work area below.
Safe means of access will be provided and maintained to all places of work currently in
use. A staircase scaffold is the preference, however a secured ladder may be used for
short duration work. No materials should be carried on a ladder.
The roof will not be overloaded at any time. A competent person should survey the roof
structure to ensure it is of sufficient strength to hold the imposed loadings. Materials must
not be stored in a manner that a point loading on any part of the structure.
Safety Association of Federated Employers 2013
www.safety-assoc.co.uk
V1-2/13

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Barriers will be erected and warning signage to be displayed to prevent unauthorised

access to the work area.
Construction vehicles and equipment will be maintained at a safe distance from the
access structure.
A designated loading are should be provided with a gate system to prevent fall should be
in place, however, where guard rails or covers are removed for access, a safe system of
work will specifically address the measures required to protect any person affected. This
will include safety nets, fall arrestors and travel restraint equipment.
Where significant down takings are to be produced, the safe system of work will
specifically address the removal/disposal of materials and to ensure the roof in not
overloaded.
No materials are to be thrown from a height, chutes or similar provision will be detailed in
the safe system of work.
All loose materials on exposed roofs shall be secured to prevent accidental mechanical or
wind-blown displacement.
Subject to a high level of supervision, where limited work is being carried out on sections
of large roof, without breaks, holes or fragile materials, a single barrier, some distance
from the roof edge, will be used to identify the roof area and any access to it. Those
barriers to be positioned at an adequate distance (2 metres minimum), from the roof
edge.
No bitumen boilers will be used without adequate fire and emergency precautions being in
place and personal supervision whilst in operation.

Overall Risk Rating if the above controls are followed:

Med
Proceed with caution. Review controls where possible
Associated Documents:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/gs6.pdf - Avoiding Danger from Overhead Power lines

HSE Document GS6

Amendments:

Safety Association of Federated Employers 2013

www.safety-assoc.co.uk
V1-2/13