For any company with a rooftop, fall protection is essential to keep workers safe during inspections, maintenance or repairs. As a matter of law, OSHA’s General Duty Clause requires employers to provide workplaces free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
It’s clear fall protection is something every company should be paying attention to, but understanding the importance of fall safety is just the first step. With so many fall protection systems to choose from, some employers are left wondering what is the best option to protect employees at heights?
In this blog post, we review two of our most popular safety systems: roof guardrails versus cable based lifelines, comparing their pros and cons head-to-head.
Before you decide on a fall safety solution for your facility, it’s important to consider your options. There are many fall protection systems available, but when it comes to rooftop safety, guardrails and cable based lifeline systems are often popular choices.
Designed for flexibility and versatility, weighted base roof guardrail systems are a great, low maintenance option for rooftop protection. These lightweight, non-penetrating guardrails are compatible with nearly all commercial roof materials and provide perimeter fall protection without requiring cumbersome equipment or user training.
In areas with significant adequate fall clearance, cable based lifelines may be a more appropriate fall protection solution. Whether you’re building a new construction and need compliant fall protection or you’re looking to improve the existing safety systems in your facility, horizontal lifelines can be custom engineered to meet your needs.
Most employers want the best safety solution for their employees, but “best” can mean different things to different people. Some companies evaluate safety decisions exclusively on price while some value solutions that are easy to use or reduce the likelihood of human error. Other decisionmakers may look for solutions that minimize physical alterations to the roof or products that comply with OSHA regulations and ANSI guidelines.
Selecting the right rooftop fall protection solution for your application requires careful consideration of budget, risk tolerance, as well as the physical attributes of competing system styles. Only after weighing each of these factors can a decisionmaker arrive at the best solution for a given application.
One of the top strategies for assessing your system requirements is to partner with a fall protection company that can offer a thorough assessment of your rooftop. An in-person, on-site visit is always preferred, but in situations where in-person contact is restricted, Diversified Fall Protection can perform a virtual rooftop assessment using aerial imagery.
Contact Us to request a fall safety review.