Most people associate using fall protection with wearing a harness connected with roof anchor points as seen at construction sites. However, a lot of people know that fall protection should be used for maintenance jobs on existing structures. Chimney sweeps, painters and workers installing solar panels shouldn’t be allowed to work on high sloping roofs if they are not protected against falls.

Personal fall protection

A personal fall protection system should consist of at least body support, an anchor, and a connecting device. This means that a user should wear a harness that is attached to the anchor point. An anchor point doesn’t have to be situated above the location of work. You can pull a rope over the roof by using a throwing line when working on sloping roofs. This allows the user to create an anchor point on the opposite direction while adhering to the roof anchor points Australian standards.

According to the applicable standards, an anchor point should hold a force of 10kN for 3 minutes. This is difficult to measure. Here are some of the ways to create an anchor point.

Using a sling

A sling is tied on a secure object at the opposite side of the location of work on a sloping roof. The sling has a safety hook at the end of the slope that is connected to the sling. You can use a strong living tree with a large diameter or a towing eye of a van to which to tie a sling.

Using a jamb anchor

Jamb anchors are mounted in a window frame or door frame. The rope that runs over the roof’s sloping can be attached to the safety aye. Jamb roof anchor points can be clamped between the posts of a door and the frame of a window. However, the jamb anchor is wider than the doorpost or the frame. This means that it cannot be installed if there is no enough room for the end that sticks out.