Walkovers do not just help to reduce the risk of trips and falls when working at height; they may also reduce the likelihood that a misplaced footstep will disturb hazardous roofing materials like asbestos. The HSE warns that loose-fill asbestos – often used to insulate industrial loft spaces in the 20th century – is “probably […]
A pitched roof might seem like it would present an obstacle to the installation of walkovers, but in actual fact, they are not only relatively easy to install; they can also introduce an important element of safety to an uneven roof surface. Working – and walking – on a pitched roof is inherently risky as, […]
The value of walkovers cannot be overstated, particularly on buildings where the roof is necessarily made of fragile materials. In one recent case, a 44-year-old man from Preston, near Hull, was given the task of cleaning greenhouse gutters at a salad farm. He was given no protection – such as a guardrail or man anchor […]
Further progress towards affordable solar-generating roof tiles hints at a future in which walkovers may be a feature of normal domestic properties’ roofs. Dr Harry A Atwater of the California Institute of Technology has been working with Dr James C Stevens, a chemist at the Dow Chemical Company, on ways to make solar roof tiles […]
New Health & Safety Executive work throws fresh light on the importance of edge protection for construction workers, while a recent incident also demonstrates why sturdy walkovers can be better than temporary platforms built out of unsuitable materials. Edge protection is likely to be one area HSE inspectors focus on in the coming weeks, as […]
Walkovers can help to prevent falls from height – not necessarily from the edges of roofs, but through skylights and weaker parts of the roof surface itself. By fitting walkovers, you can specify a safe route across the roof, leading around skylights rather than over them. Health and Safety Executive inspector Russell Beckett says: “”Falls […]
Walkovers are already an important way to provide safe passage over uneven rooftops, with a clear, high-grip route over cables and pipework, or around any weak parts of the roof. However, as nanotechnology progresses in the years to come, unusual new materials could help to make walkovers even safer in high humidity and low temperatures. […]
Walkovers and safety ladders could become particularly important in the years to come, if an origami-inspired method for creating retractable rooftops enters common usage. Called Kaleidogami, the method is currently being researched at Purdue University in the US, where engineers have tweaked the rules of origami and applied them to flat building materials. “”Whereas traditional […]
We often talk about edge protection and walkovers as ways to prevent trips and falls, but there are other ways in which they can keep your employees safe. Recent research carried out in the US shows one important application, as scientists at NASA compared the temperature of dark roofs in New York with one covered […]
Walkovers or Step Overs often gain attention for their ability to protect individuals, but they are just as important for protecting your roof – particularly if it is sensitive to human footfall. In the case of green roofs, it may be preferable to make sure that maintenance workers do not trample any shrubs or grasses […]