Fall Protection on a Two-Story Tear-Off
You are the lead installer on a two-story house with a 7/12 gable roof. The eave is 22 ft above grade, the ridge is 34 ft long, and the rear slope faces a driveway. The general contractor has set up two roof jacks with 2x10 planks on the rear slope and one 5/16-in. lag screw anchor at the ridge, installed through the top chord of a truss; the anchor has no manufacturer label or rated capacity. Three workers will carry 80-lb bundles of concrete tile up a ladder and stack them on the roof. The forecast calls for 15-20 mph wind. The GC says a safety monitor on the ground is enough because the crew is experienced and the roof is not that steep. No written fall-protection plan is on site, and the ladder extends 2 ft above the eave.
1. Is the proposed fall-protection arrangement acceptable? Identify the hazards and the changes required before any worker accesses the roof.
Read the worked answer
No. The eave is 22 ft above grade, so this is not a case where a ground monitor can be the only control. A safety monitor does not arrest a fall and cannot protect workers carrying bundles or working near the eave. The 5/16-in. lag with no label has no known capacity; a personal fall-arrest anchor must be rated at 5,000 lb per worker or designed by a qualified person, and it must be attached to a structural member, not simply assumed adequate because it is in a truss. Roof jacks and planks are work platforms, not guardrails. Acceptable options include a guardrail system at the eave, a PFAS with a rated anchor and independent lifelines, or a combination selected by a qualified person. Also required: a written fall-protection plan, worker training, a ladder extending 3 ft above the eave, controlled material staging, and a wind limit. Stop work until these are corrected.
2. How should tile bundles and the anchor/rescue plan be handled?
Read the worked answer
Do not carry 80-lb bundles up a ladder. Use a hoist, conveyor, or crane to land material at a planned staging area, and distribute stacks over structural walls or near the ridge rather than at midspan. Keep the staging load below the deck design load, and do not stack bundles where workers need to walk. The anchor should be a manufactured roof anchor with a rated capacity, installed per the manufacturer into structure. Use separate lifelines so one worker's fall does not load another. A rescue plan is required because suspension trauma can occur within minutes: call 911, have a ladder or rope rescue method ready, and never rely on the crew to pull someone up. Inspect anchors, harnesses, and lanyards daily; use shock-absorbing lanyards only where clearance exists. Brief the crew on wind limits and tile handling before loading begins.