Affordable fall protection options for climbing a steep roof?

[wessex101]

To get back to the OP's actual question.
Fall arrest anchors have to be very securely fixed to the structure of the building or be very heavy as they need to resist the dynamic load of a falling human body. I doubt very much that a DIY version at a reasonable price is available.

 

[opps]

To get back to the OP's actual question.
Fall arrest anchors have to be very securely fixed to the structure of the building or be very heavy as they need to resist the dynamic load of a falling human body. I doubt very much that a DIY version at a reasonable price is available.

Additionally, some are designed to stop you falling but have no scope to enable the wearer to be hoisted back up. Fall off, hit your head, and you will just dangle until someone comes along.

Alternatively, pay for scaffolding, brace a ladder on to the scaffolding, it cannot move and if you do slide down down the roof, you will land on scaffolding that is set just below the gutter. It will be a soft landing.

I completely understand why people will go for the cheapest option, but if it goes wrong, it is life changing. Personally, I want to minimise the risk of my stepson pushing me around in wheelchair and need someone else to wipe my behind.

 

[noseall]

I used to regularly re-bed ridge, using cat ladders, back in the day. The trick was bedding the last tile and then avoid disturbing them, as you draw the cat, back down the roof.
Anyone asks if I have a set of cat ladders these days, and I say no.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have only ever fallen off a ladder once. It hurt, but could have been much worse. It was only a single story.

Me too, just the once... and back in the bad old days. A pair of company supplied ancient wooden steps, as all were back then. These particular ones, would walk, and close-up on you, as you rocked about.

There I was, struggling to drill a concrete ceiling, concentrating, unnoticed by me, the closed up, and down I went. Cost me a fractured arm. I walked to hospital, half a mile away, splinted, and back at work the same afternoon. Light duties for a fortnight.

I've always been timid, working at heights, I always make a point of lashing ladders. I'm very wary of alloy towers, which tend to rock, but I'm fine on things which are, and feel completely rigid.

 

[catlad]

Do you think we should also get rid of those stupid car seat belts?

Yes definitely do away with those! it will be a lot safer for everyone.

 

[lostinthelight]

A fall arrestor could just leave you dangling ,not being able to go up or down .
I use a climbing rope going up over the roof anchored at ground level either side with some slack . I am then attached to the main rope with another short length and prusik knot, that way, if you fall you have the chance to go up or lower yourself down.

 

[mattylad]

Roofers walk all over our roofs with little issue, they treat it as if they are walking on the ground except it's just a little sloped.

I too have been on my slate roof many times, previously with no safety equipment.
Nowadays though I chuck a rope around the chimney and tie my harness to it, if I was to slip and fall then at least I wont hit the ground, I may dangle by that's where the fire brigade 1km down the road comes in.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I am then attached to the main rope with another short length and prusik knot, that way, if you fall you have the chance to go up or lower yourself down.

That's the knot which I used, I just couldn't remember the name. One rope through several anchors, on the far wall, to the side of the roof I was working on, then a second rope lashed to that, as the safety rope. Then on the safety rope a pair of smaller ropes attached via Prusik knots. You can just slide the knot up or down when there is no load on it, but as soon as a load is applied, it locks itself.

You can even use a pair of them for climbing a rope.

 

[Tigercubrider]

Any fall arrest system should include a rescue plan.
You can die in a fall arrest way more quickly than you’d think

Suspension trauma

The dangers of suspension trauma and how standard first-aid techniques can sometimes kill instead of cure. Read more at www.fallarrest.com

fallarrest.com

 

[bigbob764]

Yea but you can't just have a google, buy some random stuff of the web you think looks right, bolt it to a rafter and hope for the best. It's Darwinism.

That's exactly why I asked on a forum full of knowledgeable folks

I shall investigate scaffold towers.

 

[Deluks]

When doing some work on my roof, I used a second hand tower, cat ladder, and climbing rope (with harness) around the chimney stack. The thought of falling 6 metres on to concrete fills me with dread!

 

[George_engineer]

Fall arrest / work restraint / work positioning isn't used much in domestic roof work (if at all) because it just introduces additional issues (rescue planning, certifying anchor strengths, training requirements etc). Scaffold is seen as much better as it provides a work platform and is all round safer.

Because of this, there aren't any DIY options available.