Access Points are the most frequented hazard on any rooftop. Workers are exposed to this risk twice - every time they enter and exit the roof to perform tasks. If a worker is required to access the roof 8 times per year, they are exposed to the access point hazard 16 times. All ladders and hatches should be secured with a self-closing gate and safety-compliant railing.

Openings are the most often overlooked hazards, so they are extremely critical to protect. Skylights and rooflights are considered to be a hole in the rooftop and all rooftop openings should be a serious risk concern. Statistically, more people fall through skylights than over the open edge of a roof. As a worker is traversing the middle of the rooftop, they have a false sense of security. Operating far from the roof edge, carrying equipment, or focused on the job at hand, it is easy to misstep and fall through an unprotected skylight opening.

The edge of the roof is the most visible hazard, and typically the hazard most people want to protect first. Proximity to the roof edge is a significant factor in identifying the likelihood of an accident occurring. Most regulations require that any building where work is performed within 2m of an open roof edge, each worker must be protected from falling with a guardrail system or other approved safety system. Frequently, a worker’s purpose for accessing the roof is to service a piece of equipment. It is important to document if the equipment is too close to an unprotected edge.

Understanding the path that workers take across the roof is necessary for a complete fall protection assessment. Obstacles on the roof force workers to unsafely climb over or step around the obstructions, often placing workers at risk by walking too close to the roof edge and slipping off.