Fall Arrest vs. Roof Anchor on a Steep Tiled Roof
You are preparing to tile a 35 degree roof on a two-storey home. The eave height is 6.5 m. The site has a scaffold at the eaves on two sides but not on the gable ends. The roof has no permanent anchor points installed. A subcontractor arrives with a harness and proposes to tie off to the top plate of a wall frame using a sling. The weather is fine and the job is behind schedule. The principal contractor's safety plan says 'harness to be worn at all times' but does not specify anchor points.
1. Is the subcontractor's proposed tie-off acceptable? Explain your reasoning.
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No. A sling around a top plate is not a certified anchor point. Fall-arrest anchors must be rated and installed to the relevant standard, and a wall top plate is not designed or tested for fall-arrest loads. If the worker fell, the sling could slip, the plate could fail, or the load could be transferred into an unsuitable member, with fatal consequences.
At 6.5 m eave height on a 35 degree pitch, a fall is likely to be serious or fatal, so the hierarchy of control applies:
- Eliminate or minimise the risk first - extend scaffold or edge protection to the gable ends so work can be done from a guarded platform.
- Use collective protection (guardrails, scaffolds, catch platforms) before relying on personal fall-arrest.
- If fall-arrest is still required, use certified anchor points installed by a competent person, with a harness, lanyard and rescue plan.
'Wear a harness at all times' in a safety plan is not enough; the plan must specify compliant anchors, and the principal contractor must provide them or approve an alternative system.
2. What should you do before any tiling starts on this roof, and who needs to be involved?
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Before tiling:
- Raise the gap in the safety plan with the principal contractor in writing - the plan lacks anchor points and does not cover the gable ends.
- Have a competent person assess the roof and specify controls: scaffold extension to the gables, certified anchors, or another compliant system.
- Ensure anchors are installed and inspected, and that workers are trained in harness use, inspection and rescue.
- Prepare a rescue plan - a harness without a rescue plan can leave a suspended worker at risk of suspension trauma.
- Hold a toolbox talk and record attendance, covering anchor locations, exclusion zones below and the no-go areas.
- Do not let the subcontractor start until controls are in place; the schedule pressure is not a justification.
Involve the principal contractor, the site safety officer, the scaffold provider and the subcontractor. Document every step, because if an incident occurs the records will show whether you met your work health and safety duties.