Roof Safety Awareness: Tips For Getting On And Off Of Your Home’s Roof

There are plenty of reasons why you would need to access your home’s roof including removing ice dams, cleaning out the gutters, installing a skylight, or putting in some new shingles. Regardless of whether you are an average homeowner or a professional contractor, it is critical that safety always comes first. Take a look below at a few tips you should follow the next time you need to access a roof.

Make Sure the Ladder is Securely Attached

First of all, you need to make sure the ladder you are using is securely attached to the structure. Ladders come in many forms and styles. Not all of them are designed to work with your home’s roof. If the ladder has not been explicitly designed to access roofs, you should probably do some further research before using. Most name brand extension ladders should work well depending on your roof’s height and pitch. You might also want to invest in ladder accessories, such as a ladder stabilizer which allows you to stand off of your roof without having to worry about the ladder sliding around or damaging your gutters. They come in several different styles, including ones designed for accessing corners. Before you start your ascent, always make sure the ladder is on stable, level ground and tightly secured against your house.

Use the Right Tools for the Job

Next, you need to make sure you’re using the right tools for the job at hand. If the tools have not been specifically designed for that purpose, they can create a safety hazard such as when excessive motion or force is required that causes you to lose balance. If you are looking for tools that can help you maximize your efficiency and safety while working on a roof, take a look at some of the products from Bon Tools. Bon Tools has been in business for over 60 years and offers a wide selection of both residential and commercial roofing equipment. They have been designed to be easy to use, durable, and safe on just about every type of roof. Knowing your tools are equipped for the type of job you are doing can reduce not only the time spent on your roof but also the chances of an accident occurring.

Invest in Fall Protection

Investing in fall protection gear is one of the smartest things you can do. It can give you and your loved ones valuable peace of mind when it comes to navigating your home’s roof and when push comes to shove, good fall protection is worth every penny. This type of safety gear can take many forms. For more advanced roof work, you can purchase high tech safety railing (aka guardrails) that go around the outside of your roof. This can help you and your tools stay safely on the roof in the event of a fall or accident. Alternatively, you can go another route (or double them up!) and get a safety harness with an anchor point system. When installed correctly, this can help keep you safely tethered to your roof with a sturdy rope in the event of a fall. This can prevent you from falling all the way down off your roof and onto the cement surface of a walkway or driveway. Not a bad idea to have in case you need to go up on your roof alone or when working for long periods of time.

Take a look at some of the fall protection products offered from RoofingDirect.com, and make sure you maximize your safety. A fall from the roof can lead to serious injuries, but there are numerous safety products you can use to protect yourself against this risk.

Get On and Off of Your Roof Safely

These are just a few of the most important recommendations you should follow when you are working on your roof. No matter how experienced or comfortable you might be up on your roof, it is critical that you take the proper precautions and minimize your risk of falling.