The unpredictable weather conditions can make roof access a risky endeavour. This becomes more challenging for high-rise buildings, where even the most robust safety regulations and rigorous fall protection solutions fail to provide the protection anticipated at this height. This is where roof walkways come in as a handsome solution that allows you to navigate the roof surface of buildings for maintenance, inspection, and installation.
These installations offer secure and efficient access paths on different roof configurations, particularly in industrial and high-rise residential and commercial buildings. They ensure safe access to your roof, but you must maintain compliance with health and safety legislation. Let us understand these roof walkways deeply with the help of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING ROOF WALKWAYS
WHAT IS A ROOF WALKWAY?
A roof walkway is a permanent solution designed for stable and anti-slip access of your roof using a dedicated pathway installed all over the roofing structure. As the name suggests, these systems are installed on the rooftop, where frequent foot traffic is present in risky and challenging conditions. People also depend upon these roof walkways to maintain the roof's integrity and prevent it from wear and tear and damage that frequent foot traffic can cause. The fundamental importance of roof walkways is witnessed near unprotected edges or on sloping roofs, where risks are double or even more. Installing roof walkways comes with some significant benefits, and we have covered the top ones here.
SAFETY ASSURED WITH ROOF WALKWAYS
These roof walkways are engineered to provide enhanced slip resistance as you access the rooftop of a high-rise building. This is crucial to prevent accidents and injuries and to ensure the total safety of the staff visiting the rooftop. They are designed to distribute the weight of pedestrians evenly and this reduces uneven wear and tear on roof surfaces. Unnecessary damage caused by excessive traffic on the rooftop can also be prevented easily with these roof walkways.
WITNESS OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY WITH ROOF WALKWAYS
According to the vendors of insulated patio roof solutions, these roof walkways provide a levelled walkway across the roof. They can be installed on any roof type, ranging from flat to standard seam metal roofs, insulated patio roofs, and others. With the help of these roof walkways, the speed of movement can be increased, and as a result, the time used in maintenance tasks can be reduced. In short, these roof walkways for safe roof access can help cut down project duration and cost.
COMPLIANCE AND PROTECTION
An essential feature of these roof walkways is that they are built in close coordination and compliance with several standards and guidelines mentioned for roof safety practices. In other words, these roof walkways comply entirely with AS/NZS 1891.4:2009 and AS/NZS 5532:2013 and AS/NZS 4488.1:1997.
It must be ensured during the manufacturing process that these roof walkways meet the highest standards of roof safety and fall protection.
UNDERSTANDING THE KEY FEATURES OF ROOF WALKWAY SOLUTIONS
MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION
People prefer roof walkways made from grade 316 stainless steel for incredible durability and long-term corrosion resistance. They are ideal for any kind of weather conditions prevailing in Australia while delivering long-lasting performance.
CUSTOM-DESIGNED
Roof walkways are manufactured to custom specifications and to fit complex access systems in different types of buildings. Manufacturers ensure that unique sight requirements are met and versatile roof safety solutions are offered to building owners.
COMPLIANCE WITH SAFETY STANDARDS
Manufacturers ensure that all their roof walkways meet all relevant safety standards and regulations for complete peace of mind of the user. Here are the details of some key standards and guidelines that manufacturers follow during the manufacturing process.
- AS/NZS 1891.4:2009
- AS/NZS 5532:2013
- AS/NZS 4488.1:1997
Apart from this, the manufacturers also adhere strictly to the SAFE WORK AUSTRALIA CODE OF PRACTICE, as they have guidelines on managing risks associated with working with heights.
UNMATCHED VERSATILITY
These installations are designed keeping usage in various industries in mind including food manufacturing, mining, cold storage, HVAC maintenance, marine environments, large commercial solar installation, and indoor and outdoor use.
INTEGRATED ANCHOR SYSTEM
The anchor system is an integral part of roof walkway installations, and these systems are manufactured after fabricating using hot deep galvanized materials. They are adaptable to various roof types and provide a secure point of attachment to improve the safety and integrity of the fall protection system.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS RELATED TO ROOF WALKWAYS INSTALLATION
Some very important factors must be considered for these roof walkway solutions' maximum safety and effectiveness. Following these factors means errors can be reduced, as even the most negligible errors can lead to significant risks and potential damages. Some essential factors to consider are presented below.
LEVEL INSTALLATION
These roof walkways must be installed on a level with a gross incline of not more than 7 degrees. This is important and mandatory to follow because uneven installation can become a reason behind accidents, and the risks of tripping and falling will increase.
PROXIMITY TO EDGES AND SKYLIGHTS
During the installation process, the team must ensure that the installation is not too close to roof edges or skylights. This will increase the risk of falling, and fall-through incidents will also increase the risk of compromising workers' safety.
SEALED ROOF SCREWS
All the roof screws should be completely sealed to prevent any leakage or the impacts of weather conditions. It is essential to know that unsealed screws can cause water damage, and they also compromise the roof's integrity to create additional hazards.
DESIGN SUITABILITY FOR ROOF PITCH
The installation team must ensure that the walkway design matches the roof pitch. Not matching these things means increasing the risks and reducing overall safety.
NON-SLIP SURFACE
The surface of the roof walkways should be non-slip to enhance workers' safety and protect them in wet and slippery conditions.
GUARD RAILS AND HANDRAILS
In areas where the slope of the roof exceeds the set standards of angle, the team needs to install guard rails to prevent any falling-related incidents. These guard rails and handrails are essential in areas that run close to the roof edge or on steep inclines.
At the same time, these installations should be ideal for use in harsh environments, coastal areas, and industrial areas. They should be impact-resistant, and the likelihood of damage should be minimal. In any case, they must maintain their structural integrity regardless of the temperature or environmental conditions that they are exposed to. The material used in manufacturing should be non-galvanic, non-conductive and entirely safe for areas where electrical hazards can become a concern.
