The worst of the winter weather may already have passed in the UK, but with springtime snow a common feature of recent years, it might be worth using the warmer intervals to install safety ladders.
While you might simply plan not to access your roof during any icy or snowy spells in the coming months, the snow itself may create an important reason to do so.
In Long Island, New York recently, a bowling alley roof partially collapsed due to the weight of snow that accumulated on it – and the Associated Press has outlined the steps to take if your property is similarly at risk.
These include raking down the snow from the roof before any subsequent rainfall – but the snow must be removed safely.
“”If you have to climb a ladder, first make sure the ladder is placed in a safe area away from ice,”” the newswire suggests. “”Wear boots to avoid slipping.””
A more comprehensive solution could be to install safety ladders, however; these help to prevent the risk of a serious fall by adding a cage surrounding the climber, making it much easier to recover from any slips.
If the risk of roof collapses seems minimal in the UK, it’s worth remembering the AP’s warning that alternating snowfall and rainfall – a pattern we have seen several times in recent weeks – can lead to a much greater total weight on flat roofs, as accumulated snow absorbs the water that falls as rain, and can raise the risk of collapse.