The safety of employees or contractors working at heights is a major issue. Legislation demands that you take this seriously.
But there are some situations where installing expensive permanent anchors along with the additional expense of an annual inspection and maintenance program doesn’t make sense.
WHAT IS A TEMPORARY ANCHOR?
A temporary roof anchor is designed to provide an easy to install yet secure anchor point in settings where there is no established fall arrest protection.
Ideally, a temporary anchor is easily portable, easy to install and can provide multi-directional fall restraint as well as fall arrest protection.
Even though they’re not permanently fixed, temporary roof anchors still need to keep workers safe and satisfy working safely at heights requirements.
No1. Roofing and Building Supplies is proud to announce the new TempLink 5000 Temporary Roof Anchor from SafetyLink’s range of products is now available.
TempLink 5000 provides multidirectional energy absorption up to 15kN (suitable for one person) and complies with Australian standards AS/NZ5532:2013 and EN759:2012.
The TempLink 5000 is compact and light with a comfortable carry handle and is made from durable 316 stainless steel.
The TempLink 5000 is ideal for providing safe temporary access on metal roofing profiles.
No1. Roofing and Building Supplies is proud to announce the new TempLink 5000 Temporary Roof Anchor from SafetyLink’s range of products is now available.
TempLink 5000 provides multidirectional energy absorption up to 15kN (suitable for one person) and complies with Australian standards AS/NZ5532:2013 and EN759:2012.
The TempLink 5000 is compact and light with a comfortable carry handle and is made from durable 316 stainless steel.
The TempLink 5000 is ideal for providing safe temporary access on metal roofing profiles.
HOW TO USE A TEMPORARY ANCHOR POINT?
The TempLink 5000 is suitable for installation on metal roofs and timber roof structures.
The TempLink 5000 allows workers to take the anchor with them to each new job. The rapid installation ensures a safe anchor wherever you go.
The TempLink 5000 is a fall arrest anchor and is not designed for use as an abseil or live load anchor.
In other words, if you’re working on a roof steeper than 30° you’ll need additional access protection as well as the TempLink 5000.
HOW DO YOU INSTALL A TEMPORARY ROOF ANCHOR?
Installation of any temporary roof anchor such as the TempLink 5000 should only be carried out by a qualified and competent person.
The TempLink 5000 anchor offers a number of screw hole positions enabling easy installation on a range of metal roof profiles.
You should ensure the underlying roof structure is sound and solid and is free from rot, cracked or rotten timbers or badly corroded steel purlins.
Line up the anchor so the screw holes line up with existing screw penetrations in the roof sheeting.
You need to use at least 5 x 14 gauge screws. It’s important to ensure screws bed solidly and securely into the roofing sub structure (to a minimum depth of 35mm).
Take care when positioning the anchor to take into account the total fall clearance and any swing risks. You must also use appropriate connections and a personal energy absorbing harness attachment.
You must also ensure that you have a safe and actionable rescue plan onsite. It should be unnecessary to add that you have trained staff fully conversant with the rescue plan and able to action them immediately.
Likewise, it is imperative that harnesses, personal energy absorbers, and connectors are of an approved type, in good condition and are maintained and inspected regularly.
WHERE DOES THE ROOF ANCHOR GO?
The roof anchor screws into timber or metal purlins through the existing holes in the roof sheeting.
Install the roof anchor directly above the are you’ll be working in. Ensure the distance from the anchor to the working area is considerably less than the total fall height.
ARE TEMPORARY ROOF ANCHORS REUSABLE?
Yes, simply unscrew the TempLink 5000 when you’re finished, replace the original roof screws ensuring a correct watertight seal around washers and take your temporary roof anchor away with you to your next job.
Regular inspection of your TempLink 5000 and other working at heights equipment by a competent person is essential.
Check for any deformation of the serpentine springs. There is also a fall indicator on either side of the serpentine that will indicate whether severe loading has been applied to the anchor.
If the serpentines are no longer inline then the anchor should be replaced.
SHOULD I INSTALL A PERMANENT ROOF ANCHOR?
It comes down to frequency of usage, cost, and the type of work being carried out.
If you only need protection for one person carrying out a relatively straightforward one off or occasional job then a temporary anchor will be perfectly adequate.
If the roof or at risk working area sees regular visits from workers/ maintenance teams or it’s a particularly challenging job involving more than one person then you should explore the installation of a series of permanent anchors.
Careful and thoughtful design of the permanent anchor system will optimise both safety and ease of access as well as make task completion more efficient.
If the roof or at risk working area sees regular visits from workers/ maintenance teams or it’s a particularly challenging job involving more than one person then you should explore the installation of a series of permanent anchors.
Careful and thoughtful design of the permanent anchor system will optimise both safety and ease of access as well as make task completion more efficient.
DESIGN & PLANNING - NEED SOME HELP?
No1 Roofing in partnership with SafetyLink’s design and planning team offers you a free fall protection system design for your specific premises.
We’ll help ensure that all areas of your roof can be accessed safely and that adequate protection is in place for the type of work you need to carry out.
Things to consider when planning your roof layout:
Is adequate protection in place for access from the ground up?
Significant injuries can occur from as low as 2 metres and current working at heights legislation requires protection to be in place even at relatively low levels.
Ladder restraint systems, safety cages, and required compliance signage may form part of this safe access way.
There may be several options for fall protection in an area but which one is best for your needs?
Are safety lines for exposed roof traverses in the best position for safety as well as efficient movement? Would you be better off using a different type of fall restraint system?
Our planning team can help you find the best solutions for your requirements. We can also connect you with an approved and qualified SafetyLink installer.
Safety when working at heights: it’s too important to compromise so talk to the best.