How To Prevent Unauthorised Access And Fall Risks On Your Roof

Whether you want to prevent vandalism to your premises, or ensure the safety of maintenance contractors, it’s important to find ways to prevent access and reduce fall risks to your rooftops.

If someone takes a fall on your rooftop, even if they access it without your permission, there’s a chance that you could still be liable for any damages.

Here are four ways to protect your business premises, your reputation, and maintain the safety of contractors and employees who work at height.

1. Use Perimeter Railings And Lockable Gates

It’s simple but effective: a lockable spring-loaded gate could be all you need to prevent unauthorised access to a rooftop. While gates might be climbed over, the deterrent is often enough.

Should someone get onto your roof, however, you need to ensure that it is safe. Install perimeter roof safety rails to prevent accidental falls from height. These don’t even need to be permanent railings, either: freestanding roof safety rails are just as safe and don’t require any drilling into the roof structure.

2. Secure Ladder Access To Authorised Persons Only

Secure your exterior ladders to prevent unauthorised access. There are a few ways of doing this.

First, you could ensure that your exterior ladders for roof access can only be reached within the secure perimeter of your building. For example, place access in a secure and monitored car park area.

Secondly, you can use our lockable ladder security plates or hoop covers to block access to unauthorised persons.

3. Protect Fragile Areas Of Your Roof

It’s important to make sure your roof area is safe should any unauthorised people gain access. While contractors who access your rooftop will be aware of common hazards, such as rooflights and uneven surfaces, other people may not realise these hazards exist.

Protect your fragile roof areas such as skylights with freestanding rooflight safety rails. These can be easily put up in situ, and the freestanding nature means there is no need to drill into a roof structure. This also means that the rails can be removed for access to the rooflight when required.

4. Make Hazards Clear

At the same time, consider other roof hazards that could cause trips, falls, or incidents on your rooftop. For example, cables that lie flat on the rooftop surface may not be easily seen by unauthorised people, and this could cause a trip.

Remedy this problem by installing cable trays, which will raise cables off the ground to increase visibility.

Find Out More About Safe Roof Access

If you’d like a free, no-obligation chat about how you could improve your rooftop security, get in touch with us today!