Working on a roof ?

Crazy_Jimmy

Crazy_Jimmy

Participating member
Location
Texas
I was sitting in a ehap class and talked about cutting some limbs on a roof.Well the instructor and some of the other attendees(non production) looked at me like I was crazy for ever getting on a roof unsecured. It was funny first time in years I felt like a Hack. Dont get me wrong if the roof is steep I will stay secured to the tree.But honestly my chipper truck is taller than most roofs and we have to get up there to get the ladder down. Just curious what the rules are regarding this and how many other arborist get on roofs un - secured. I didn't see anything in ANSI and I know OSHA has guidelines for roofers which I have never seen obeyed . Just seems like something that should be covered by ANSI, because like crane use for tree care osha kinda misses the mark -how many guys you know ride in the man Basket on a crane removal. Considering how many trees grow directly over roofs,Seems like we have to get on roofs daily and alot of times makes the job so much easier. In fact almost every job we have to blow the roof as well. Just looking for some honest insight regarding this ... Just would be nice if this was Covered in ANSI something more specific to the knowledge and tools tree guys possess.
 
Technically if you are more than 6' off the ground you need either 2 ropes one positiong one life safety, both on separate independent 5000lb anchors. Either that or approved scaffolding, a man basket, a lift with appropriate fall protection etc.
 
Shoot, I'm up there if it's an easier way to do it. Like you said if it's too steep, stay tied into the tree. These standards are killing common sense!
 
Didn't you catch some flak about the same thing in one of your vids not too far back Nick? It can make for heated discussion. I'm with you on this Thrash...
 
Tied in on a flat roof seems like overkill, but...falling ain't fun. The below is a true story:
"The trees want their leaves back, so
cleaning gutters is arboriculture,” I
hollered from the roof over the noise
of the blower at a frowning Codit below.
I stretched as far as I could, to blow
out the end of the gutter. I twisted,
telling him, “If the leaves are then composted
on site, the nutrients are recycled
and the tree system is sustainabllllll…”
My boot slipped on the shingle grit
and I gracelessly tumbled to the ground. What followed was agony
as I wheezed and staggered to the truck. Codit jumped in and
drove me to the emergency room for X-rays.
“The radiologist says you have two broken ribs,” Codit told me
in the waiting room as I wheezed deep, trying to focus. “I think
that’s why ANSI Z133.1-2006 8.1.19 says, ‘The arborist shall be
tied in when the work begins, and shall be tied in until the work is
completed.’”
I was ready to do something rash, but the chiming in my pocket
killed Codit’s lecture. He pulled the phone out, put in the prescription
for pain medication, and clicked the speaker on. “Detective
Dendro, diagnostic service,” he answered.
 
Right now I using my phone so I can't sight chapter and verse from Z133 or OSHA. Look up 'work at height' regulations.

I know that the z says that climbers must be secured from falling. There are options for staying away from the edge of a flat roof. Otherwise fencing of some sort is required.

Sure it's a bit awkward. What about hitting the ground? Has everyone missed the off balance moment when stacking brush or chucking logs around when a snag happens and you get pulled off-balance ? What if that happens on the roof? Would you work in a bucket without being secured?

Define common sense. Then, explain why regs are made in the first place. Most should carry the name of the killed or injured person who got the reg started. Would regs carry more validity of they were called the Frank-Rule or the Jane-Rule rather than 8.3.5?

Done with my rant for now. Off to the flea market
 
I looked thru ansi and I could never find anything for roofs. I believe osha requirements are alot different than just being tied to the tree. Just curious who all works off of roofs un - secured ?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I looked thru ansi and I could never find anything for roofs.

[/ QUOTE ]ANSI Z133.1-2006 8.1.19 quoted above seems to apply for roofs, trees, lifts, whatever (but what about ladders?). I break this one on flat roofs but not steep roofs. I sure wish I'd followed it when blowing leaves out of my gutter--true story. Broken ribs hurt, but coulda been a broken neck.

Steep roofs present a good use of SRT. Throwing a line over the peak and tying it off allows security when there is no branch at the right angle or chimney to tie a cambium saver/chimney saver? to.

Compared to the A300 and its shoulds/recommendations, the Z is full of shalls/requirements. The grey areas are wide. Really hard to strictly comply with. This has hurt its usefulness in court ime.
frown.gif
 
As an aside, a Ministry of Labour inspector I chatted with last summer (the chat instigated by him) mentioned grocery stores as being big safety concerns...employees stocking shelves off of little stepstools, and falling. He mentioned a case of one employee losing her balance, falling backwards, and fatally striking her head.
 
This reply is an off shoot of this topic, not a true derail.

I do a fair amount of work at height other than tree work. My system for tying in while working on a roof (not using a roof while doing tree work) combines a 10.5 mm nylon kernmantle sport climbing line (built in deceleration--dynamic) with a hitchclimber 8mm VT combo. Think SRTW with no wrench. A true blending of two very different disciplines. I know this raises red flags, but the fall protection available to roofers is junk. It's no wonder they dont want to use it. Using a asap or rocker does not give you a work positioning function. This does.
I would not recommend this method to anyone, but it works great for me. Much better than hitting the ground. You sport climber/tree workers out there might find this interesting.
 
I re shingled my sisters roof in Baltimore using a vt with no rope wrench. It would have been better with a wrench but it worked fine. I bolted two eye bolts at the ends of the roof and tensioned a highline across the ridge line and then tied into a pulley that allowed us to float across the whole roof
 
I used to get up there all the time, chimney sweep etc until climbing on a rope became so easy, it is just too cheap and too easy not to secure yourself with a rope.
....and get the cheapest rated rope (and maybe a light rock harness) as the asphalt shingles fuzz the rope fast and get it all black and ugly! Been there done that.
Like Kevin says, all you need is a friction hitch and biner as you never (hope anyway) put all your weight on the hitch.
 
I put all my weight on all the time. Allows me to work with both hands. Because you are in a sloped environment, not a vertical environment, the VT never locks down.

Don't forget, we are talking roofing, not tree work.

M
 
[ QUOTE ]
I put all my weight on all the time. Allows me to work with both hands. Because you are in a sloped environment, not a vertical environment, the VT never locks down.

Don't forget, we are talking roofing, not tree work.

M

[/ QUOTE ]

Simply a question but if you are on a sloped roof, how do you put all the weight on that VT. I'm just saying until the roof slope is 100% you are a portion of your weight. You are working with a Roof Wrench. ;)

Of course depends on the placement of the anchor and vector forces but I think you see where I'm coming from.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I remember my vt started to suck especially as my rope got all tary. It would have been much better with a wrench.

[/ QUOTE ]

But then you would have had a tarred-up VT AND RW!
grin.gif
 
i have worked some seriously steep roofs doing storm damage work we always tied a single line to something solid on the ground and put a tarp and leather cambium saver on the apex of the roof and worked single line. Works for us.
 
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