Falls through fragile roofs and fragile roof lights cause death and serious injury. They account for almost a fifth of all the fatal accidents which result from a fall from height in the construction industry.
Almost all of these fatalities arise from construction work in some form or another, although not always on what might be regarded as a construction site, much of which work is minor and short duration.These accidents usually happen while
- Surveying the roof or inspecting roof work
- Cleaning gutters and skylights
- Installing equipment
- Maintaining plant on the roof
- Carring out repairs to the roof, skylights or gutters
- Re-roofing
- Demolition
Everyone involved in this type of work, including clients, designers and contractors, should treat falls through fragile surfaces as a priority hazard.