Fall Safety

Passive vs. Active Fall Protection

Passive Fall Protection

Passive fall protection is most closely aligned with the guardrail. Guardrail requires minimal inspection and virtually no training. Simply put, passive fall protection requires no action from the rooftop worker once the system is installed.

Active Fall Protection

Active fall protection is typically aligned with horizontal lifelines and anchor points. It requires training, maintenance, inspection, and on-going management. Most importantly, it requires action from the user each time it is used.

Types of Fall Safety Protection

The best example of a non-penetrating rooftop guardrail is the KeeGuard Safety Railing. It is a counter-balanced system that is easy to install and can be adapted to just about any rooftop obstacle. Easily assembled by a two-man crew, it can protect large sections of the roof perimeter or provide smaller sections of spot protection.

Non – Penetrating Rooftop Guardrails

N

Easy to install, NO specialized training required

N

Can easily be modified on site, no welding required

N

No ongoing maintenance or training required

N

Architectural “look and feel”

N

Versatile: Can build around obstacles
(ie. HVAC units & roofs with varying heights)

N

Durable: 100% galvanized system

N

Tested for OSHA compliance

Parapet Guardrails

N

Lower linear foot cost than a counter-balanced solution

N

Easy to install, attaches directly to the parapet, avoiding penetration of the roof membrane

N

No ongoing training required

N

Versatile: Can build around obstacles
(ie. HVAC units & roofs with varying heights)

N

Penetrations may need maintenance

N

Suitable parapet is required

N

Railing has to be placed on parapet, making more visible from below

N

Higher installation costs

N

Special labor is required in most cases for proper sealing of penetrations

Horizontal Lifeline

N

Lower cost of product than most guardrail solutions

N

Not visible from the ground

N

Can be used in some circumstances where passive solutions will not work

N

Allows more mobility around a roof than standard anchor points

N

Must be installed by certified installers

N

Ongoing maintenance

N

Inspection required before every use

N

OSHA competent person training required by all employees using the system

N

Requires the employee to wear fall protection equipment & properly tie off the system

N

Ongoing purchase of PPE
(harnesses, lanyards, etc.)

N

Requires valid rescue plan

N

Requires attention from management to document the above & validate that the safety plan is followed

N

Limits productivity to workers

Fall Safety Gallery

CROWNWORX Non-Penetrating Tie-Off Anchor Points

Solutions provided by Crownworx fit into this category of non-penetrating tie-off points. These products allow workers to tie off in a particular location but give them the freedom to move the system when it is needed elsewhere.
N

Systems are portable and can be moved

N

Relatively low cost of entry

N

Not visible from the ground

N

No roof penetration

N

OSHA competent person training required by all employees using the system

N

Inspection required before every use

N

Requires the employee to wear fall protection equipment and properly tie off to the system

N

Allows limited access before needing to be repositioned

N

Ongoing purchase of PPE
(harnesses, lanyards, etc.)

N

Valid rescue plan required

N

Higher risk of incorrect use

N

Requires attention from management to document the above and validate that the safety plan is followed

N

Limits productivity to workers

N

Adds additional work time to each job for setting up and tearing down the anchor point