The vast majority of fall protection systems are designed to stop workers going over a roof edge. But what if you need to?
Fall protection systems are, by and large designed to either keep workers away from an edge or stop them from going over one.
However, the need to access over an edge, to get to a building’s exterior walls or other areas is sometimes required.
In situations where there is no building maintenance unit (BMU) installed, rope access, or abseil, may be used. And with that comes a range of options for the technician to safely make their way over the roof edge.
Where is rope access or abseil commonly used and why?
Rope access or abseiling is commonly used when access to a wall or other area cannot be made safely from the ground. While many of these scenarios occur outside, this can also be the case inside the building in some situations.
The most common types of buildings where rope access is needed are multi-storey commercial and resident premises. Think office buildings in a capital city’s central business district or the apartment buildings of an inner-city suburb.
By the time a building is more than about 4 stories tall, the ability to access its façade from the ground becomes limited. Access is instead needed from the roof, and this is where abseil and rope access systems come in.
These systems can be used for a wide variety of tasks – from general maintenance and repair work through to building refurbishment and more. Window cleaning would be the most common form of task undertaking using rope access systems.
What influences the design of rope access systems
There are many aspects of a building’s design and requirements that can influence the type of rope access system that is required. From the roof layout, to how access is gained to the area to whether or not the roof is accessible to building occupants all provide important details that need to be considered.
Areas that can be accessed by people that are not specialist workers can mean that a system needs to be designed in a way that it cannot be accessed by those not qualified to do so. It can also mean the system needs to take into account parapet walls and other obstacles that could get in the way when access is needed over a roof edge.
Common types of rope access system
Much like fall protection systems, the most common type of rope access or abseil system involves anchor points. These come in a variety of styles and can be used in many different types of system.
Abseil anchor points can be installed in floors, walls, parapets and even on the bottom of edge of overhangs and balconies. These systems are used if the roof area from which access is being made is relatively straight forward.
Although anchor points are common, there are many cases where they cannot be used or it might not be practical to use them.
In these situations, the next most common type of rope access system is a davit. Davits comprise of a self-supported trunk and arm that allows an abseiler to setup their system to be clear of a parapet wall or balcony railing. Most davit systems are designed that multiple base points can be installed around the areas where access is needed, with davit arms relocated between points as access is needed to those areas.
The trunk of the davit is attached to a base point; the workers rope system can then be rigged to pass over the parapet or railing.
Rails are also a type of system that can be used for rope access and abseil work. These are commonly installed in buildings where access is needed not only up and down a building’s facade, but across it as well. They are also used inside warehouses and industrial buildings where free movement but also fall protection is required. This can include raised walkways, the top of plant and other machinery as well as along edges.
Partners in protecting people
When it comes to protecting people from the risks associated with working at height, HSE are the experts.
Our team brings decades of combined experience to bear on each and every job. Making sure that systems are compliant, easy to use and can be trusted to make sure that risks are mitigated.
Start your safety journey with Height Safety Engineers, your partners in protecting people today.
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