Despite the prevalence of rooflights, and their more antique predecessors, over the years, walk-on rooflights are a relatively new customer demand. It has only been in the past thirty years or so that rooflights have been expected to support the weight of passers by on roofs and balconies, and prior to this, rooflights were designed and manufactured to provide light and little more. Certainly not surfaces sturdy enough for grown adults to wander across.
However, the widespread occurrence of serious injury and death due to falls from height through unstable surfaces, among a landscape already becoming more health-and-safety-conscious by the day, has prompted a massive reform of roof safety regulations, which in turn has challenged the rooflight industry to adapt and keep up. The HSE’s publication Health and Safety in Roof Work HSG331 states that roofers count for nearly 25% of construction falling deaths, most of which are caused by fragile surfaces giving way.
The National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers and the Advisory Committee for Roofsafety have been working in collaboration for many years now, using their combined knowledge of the industry to work towards improved safety standards for construction workers. Recognising a wide and concerning gap in legislation regarding the prevention of deaths caused by fragile surfaces, the parties have been working together since 2000 to protect this overlooked section of the industry and improve conditions, products and services alike. Part of their work has been in designing an effective testing regime to ensure quality of product and ultimate safety and wellbeing of installers and users.
This testing programme, the ACR[M]001, is the official regulatory control enforced on all rooflighting to judge their fitness for purpose and ability to support the weight of a person, here termed ‘non-fragility’. ACR[M]001, or The Red Book, as it is commonly referred to, introduces the testing guidelines, cites technical definitions and outlines the principles behind the test. It then goes on to specify, in detail, the appropriate testing methods to be applied, dependent on rooflight type, and correct procedures to follow for various test results. Official protocol for completing tests and how to process tested products are provided, as well as technical diagrams and contact details for all contributing organisations.
In accordance with Red Book specifications, rooflights are graded from A-C, with A representing the highest efficiency in non-fragility, after a lengthy inspection. Such high ratings are seldom awarded, however, and even if they are, reputable manufacturers and installers will often opt to take the next rating down. This is because any rooflight, regardless of quality or material, can be broken if enough effort is applied – and in today’s compensation culture, it is unwise to make any such guarantee, regardless of confidence. But ACR[M]001 is the official regulatory standard for roof-based work, and as such, should be referred to before any new work begins, and incorporated into employer training programmes.
The Red Book is periodically updated by all the participating organisations, who make any appropriate revisions and list them alongside the preface, to ensure that any changes in procedure are known to all and will not be overlooked. Make sure that any work carried out is done so in accordance with the most recently published edition of ACR[M]001. If you are uncertain as to whether your copy of the Red Book is current, enquire with any of the listed contributors, who will be happy to advise you. Similarly, if any regulations in the Red Book are in any way unclear, or you are in any doubt as to which regulations apply to a particular job, always refer to the Advisory Committee for Roofsafety before making a start on any work.
The regularity with which rooflight-related accidents and deaths occur has made construction a bigger fixture of health and safety regulators’ interests than ever, with corresponding investigations, punishments and fines in place to deal with offenders and non-compliers. In order to maintain the trust of employees, regulators and customers, it is imperative that all rooflight manufacturers and installers stay up-to-date and familiar with the expectations of the Red Book test, and take all necessary steps to be compliant with regulations at all times.
http://www.roofworkadvice.info/ACR_Red_book_5th_edition_29_5_014_webfinal.pdf
