I could see it causing a great deal of problems if not installed correctly though something structural, if this was just thru the plywood a fall that shock loads the rope would very likely tear it out of the roof causing damage to customers home and causing a fall which would likely cause sever injury.
It is not something I would ever consider however this is because it would be totally useless as houses here do not have plywood roofs.
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Yeah, Steve, I think the screws are supposed to go into the truss underneath the plywood, but I kinda feel the same way you do. Nevertheless they are OSHA approved and could be just the thing in some situations. Also, they are meant to be left in place after use.
Having said that I am considering using some and making the customer pay for them on certain jobs as a condition of doing the job. Especially on 10/12 or 12/12 roofs.
They look like they hold as long as there is not a lot of slack in the line you will need a rope grab and a lanyard that connects to harness. No slack is key with that device
ugh… I dis-like those pitches.
Remember if you install them, you could be liable in the future if someone uses them and they fail…
(just food for thought)
I don’t think I would leave them in place just for that reason.
Honestly I would be using longer screws and make sure they are stainless steel the last thing you would want is if after x amount of years the screws corrode away and cause a failure.
Installation is key before I would use them I would check the attic/roof space to ensure all screw were in thru the roof truss and not just thru a battens.
The problem comes to use if a contractor that has no idea wtf they are but thinks he assumes he knows how to use them and doesn’t and breaks himself or the house in some way then in my eyes there are a potential 5 people who are liable the OHSA for approving a product that should be associated with a training program, the manufacture for not anticipating such user error, the installer if not installed correctly, the homeowner for not maintaining the anchors and the contractor who breaks it or himself.
TBH they seem like a nice design, but you need to really trust your equipment when working with heights, this seems like I would not feel 100% safe while using this, for me this would be more for show if you had to make it look as safe as possible to a lay person, but if I slipped I would be very concerned with potential damage to the roof, honestly I would feel much safer with this product if they demonstrated an actual fall showing the results on the anchor after.
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One of the companies here in town provided their roof anchor installation policy and waiver form on Facebook. Basically they explain the need for a roof anchor to safely perform the work, charge the customer for a one time installation and require that the owner is allowing the roof anchor to be installed only for the express use of that window cleaning company.
They instructions for these products typically explain proper installation procedure eg. Length and type of fastener, allowable substrates for installation and provides diagrams showing correct installation into framing member.
I would absolutely trust this anchor if I installed it myself. I really like that it can be installed in the field area of the roof face and the fasteners are weatherproofed by the existing roofing.
I wouldn’t use those at all. There is too much room for error and missing the truss on some of the screws or fasteners.
Especially if its NOT you who is using it.
They sell something very similar at home depot that attach’s to the peak, which is supposed to be better but its not. Not really.
The anchor on either side has well over a foot or area that needs to be secured to the roof…
The peak of the roof is NOT going to be that wide, and yet there are holes in the anchor that extend the entire length of the anchor.
Instructions for the equipment tell the reader that all holes must be secured first before using the equipment
What do you typically tie off to?
For residential, I think I’ve only needed it once. I guess that comment wasn’t too constructive at all. My apologies big Steve.
(stepping down off soap box now…)
My bad.
I’ve checked them out in the past, they are legit. But like every anchor correct install is important. Anchors need to meet a set rating so as long as Install is correct they should hold.
Do it right and trust your equipment. I came out of construction so peeling the roofing back, installing, removing, and buttoning the roof up is no big deal. To do it right might seem daunting to someone who is not used to that sort of thing. But if you are on the roof regularly itnis a must. Not needed as much for windows or skylights as much as moss removal and gutters.
I like the idea of anchors for express use only for your company. @mpservices I always think that each year I return I have to repeat the same process while I can open up the roof and put it back together it will only take that abuse so many times. One and done is nice. But don’t want the headache of liability and insurance etc.
I’m really into the idea of fall restraint vs fall arrest as well. Basically keeping yourself tethered so that you could not even get over the edge of the roof. With fall arrest you run in to more things like pendulum effect, not to mention that enraging a fall arrest system is a pretty violent experience. you don’t hit the ground you can still get injured and then you have the task of getting down from a dangling position. Being stuck in a harness for an extended time can be deadly on it’s own. Especially as a one man show you never want to be in that spot.
Better just not to even get to that point. I’ve slipped to the point where my foot hit the gutter fortunately I was tied off and kept form going further or else I would have been on the concrete. The fal was to short that the arrest system wouldn’t have prevented it.
The tough thing is that no system or method really covers you 100%, 100% of the time. Even if there are tie offs you still need to get up there and clip in. Sometimes existing tie offs don’t fully cover all areas. You have to use common sense and develop skill to stay safe. I’ve been working on roofs and heights since I was a teen, sometimes my experience/bravey turns into stupidity/overconfidence. But reality is the extra 30-45 minutes spent is much more cost effective and efficient then spending months laid up from a fall.
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After thinking over the past little while, I guess things are different here, over here we don’t learn high access work thru a window cleaning company. although you learn things on the job you have to take various courses to become accredited in even working safely at heights, if you don’t have that and your working over 6" off the ground and shit hits the fan your up shit creek without a paddle, your gonna get fined , your insurance won’t cover you and you are liable to be sued.
But though all my training I was always taught not to use timber as a tie off point as it not 100% dependable especially manufactured timber. The trunk of a deeply rooted 6" wide tree I would not be even blink and would be 100% safe of that.
As with clear summit reply about no system is 100% full proof is not correct here. To install anchor points here no matter what type you need the correct certification, beyond that all anchor point must be inspected and tested to within 10% of their capacity depending on whether its fall restraint or fall arrest at least yearly.
A good friend of mine who I got into this industry many years ago went on his own about the same time I did, however he went into the pure rope access side of the industry where part of his job to install and test anchor points, he gets flown all over the country today, as he is regarded as one of the best level 3 IRATA, and he also does window cleaning jobs occasionally, he is almost as good as me on the glass.
No offense taken just wondering what others are using.
My main reason for asking is for gutter cleaning and roof washing (which I hope to get into this year). currently we just pass on anything considered too steep but I realize we need a more comprehensive approach.
I see people use those things often when cleaning gutters on condos and apartments. They screw them down, clean about 20-30ft of gutters unbolt plate fill holes with caulk and move it bolt it down again and clean gutters. They repeat process until they are done with gutters
I would use it for fall safety not fall arrest. But I would not all enough slack to go over edge. That means moving bracket or having multiple anchor on the roof. I would also have a liability waiver stating that the anchorsame are for my company’s use only and not liable for what happens to other companies as well we would remove them if we part ways with client.
As a rock climber for 25 years, I find some OSHA regulations to be ridiculous. Some of the systems and equipment are simply archaic and non-redundant. Some aspects are overkill (harness for example). I use a climbing harness, dynamic rope, and a gri-gri for steeper roof work. I can see the brackets being useful, but would use two for each anchor, particularly if I was roof washing and trusting the anchor with my weight.
I also guarantee one anchor mounted properly wouldn’t withstand a static factor 1+ fall.
Also terra cotta roofs and wood shake. What then?
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I tie to trees and the bumper of my van
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Which is not OSHA approved - but it is by far the most common way to do it. It’s like you can’t win with OSHA…
So, do you wrap a chain around the tree and the hook to that, or just tie your rope?
