As the first line of defense against the elements, properly maintaining a roof is essential to protect the value and integrity of a home. Roofing accidents account for nearly 10% of fatal falls, slips and trips, so it’s important to make sure any work on sloped roofs, especially steep ones, is done safely.
Safety Considerations for Sloped Roofs
Roof pitch is simply how steep the angle of your roof is. Roof steepness is a good indication of the tools and safety practices that you’ll need; the steeper the angle of the roof the more challenging the work environment will be. Sloped roofing can be dangerous, leading to a potentially deadly fall, so proper assessment, preparation, training and awareness is critical for safe and effective roof work.
In addition to the pitch, the roofing material and texture, roof condition and topography, including obstructions like eaves or gables and gutters, can create a more challenging and potentially more dangerous roof to work on. Some types of roofing materials are more slippery and working around complicated roof configurations, especially steep ones, increases the need for safety precautions.
Luckily, there are many tools from brackets and shinglers to material hoists that you can use to not only ensure the job gets done safely, but more efficiently as well. As with any power tools or equipment, it’s important to understand how to use them correctly and what their limitations are, and you should never carry out roofing work during inclement weather including wind, snow and rain.
Tools for Working on Sloped Roofs
Hauling tools and materials up a ladder is both inefficient and dangerous; a materials hoist allows tools and materials to be lifted to a rooftop quickly and safely. RGC’s platform hoists are available with different lifting capacities and heights depending on the size of the job. RGC’s pivoting platform hoist is adjustable from 35 to 70 degrees allowing it to adapt to different roof angles.
In addition to providing a small ledge to stand on, roof brackets (sometimes called roof jacks) also create a platform to stack tools and materials on, making them easier to access and less likely to fall from the rooftop which can also cause an injury to someone standing below. RGC’s roof brackets and shinglers come in a variety of sizes and angles to accommodate the pitch of any roof.
Ladder or roof hooks allow a ladder to be hooked over the ridge of a roof, which enables a person to work safely on a steep roof and prevents damage to roof slates or tiles underneath them. RGC’s ladder hooks and arms also have a swivel plate which allows a ladder to be placed in tricky places including valleys in between gables.
RGC creates products to help you get the job done safely and efficiently. We pride ourselves on using high quality materials built to work hard and last. If you have questions about our products or need help determining the right equipment for your job, contact us today.