GB2366826A

GB2366826A - Roof safety equipment

Info

Publication number: GB2366826A
Application number: GB0018897A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Davison
Original assignee: MONARCH ENGINEERING
Current assignee: MONARCH ENGINEERING
Priority date: 2000-08-03
Filing date: 2000-08-03
Publication date: 2002-03-20
Anticipated expiration: 2020-08-03
Also published as: GB0018897D0; GB2366826B

Abstract

A roof safety assembly for preventing falls through fragile roofs includes at least two mutually spaced base members 10 each having laterally extending arms 20 hinged by their ends to the base member. A walkway 22 is mounted between the base members and safety members, such as a nets 30, are located between corresponding arms 20 to act as a fall prevention barrier.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> Roof Safety Equipment The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to roof safety equipment.

Safety difficulties are often encountered when erecting or, more especially, maintaining fragile roofs, for example roofs made from asbestos or fibre cement sheeting, especially when maintenance has to be effected to the roof gutters or when the gutters are used to provide access to other areas of the roof.

Falls from heights and particularly through fragile roofs, are a major problem in the construction industry. They constitute a large percentage of injuries and fatalities recorded in any one year. Any arrangement which can be made to prevent falls off of roofs or through fragile roofs and in particular in the valleys between two roofs would be advantageous.

According to the present invention there is provided a roof safety assembly comprising at least two mutually spaced base members, each base member having laterally extending arms hinged by their ends to the base member, a walkway mounted between the base members and safety members extending between corresponding arms to provide a barrier.

Preferably the safety barrier is a net.

Preferably means are provided for fixing the hinged arms in one or more predetermined positions relative to the base member.

Preferably the spacing between base members corresponds to the spacing between portions of the roof on which the assembly is to be used.

Preferably said means can fix one or both arms substantially at right angles to the base member.

Preferably the walkway is a lightweight reinforced aluminium member with a non-slip surface.

Preferably the base members comprise a tubular section having plate members protruding from each end, the arms being hinged to the plate members.

Preferably the tubular section is of circular or rectangular cross-section. Preferably the walkway is provided with fitments at or near each end adapted to fix onto the base members. The fitments may be plate members with downwardly directed semicircular or rectangular slots formed therein.

Preferably hook bolts are provided to clamp the walkways to the base members.

The walkway could be discontinuous to provide for access below the walkway.

Preferably each hinged arm has brackets welded to the upper surface to which D shackles are fitted, the D shackles anchoring a non-perishable nylon safety net.

Preferably the edge of the net adjacent to the walkway is fastening by hook bolts to the sides of the walkway.

A tie member may extend between the free ends of adjacent arms.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view from one end of an assembled roof safety apparatus;

Fig. 2 shows an end view of a base member of the apparatus; Figs. 3 and 4 show respectively side and end views of a hinged arm of the apparatus; and Figs. 5 and 6 show to a different scale side and end views of a walkway of the apparatus.

A roof safety assembly intended specifically for use in the valley gutter between two sloped roof sections sheeted with fragile material, for example asbestos or fibre cement, comprises a plurality of spaced base members 10 each of which, as illustrated in Fig. 2, comprises a tubular central section 12 and two side plate members 16 welded to and protruding from the opposed ends of the section 12. Each side member 16 has an aperture 18 through which is fitted a pivot pin (not shown) by which hinged side arms 20 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) are pivotally mounted to the base member 10, one arm on each side of the member 10.

The assembly comprises also a lightweight aluminium walkway 22 which is provided with an upper non-slip surface 34 and, at each end, fixing means 24 which, together with hook bolts (not shown) attach walkway to base members 10 spaced along the length of the walkway, one, at least, being located near each end. The fixing means 24 comprise downwardly directed semicircular slots formed in plate extrusions from the end of the walkway adapted to sit on the circular section 12 of the base member.

Each hinged arm 20 has brackets 26 fixed thereto, conveniently at the top, bottom and mid region, the brackets having apertures 28 therein to receive D bolts by which a fall arrester in the form of an non-perishable nylon net 30 can be' supported between the arms. The bottom of the net 30 is fastened by hook bolts 32 at spaced intervals along the walkway 22.

The assembly is carried into position in components and assembled

progressively along the valley gutter G between two pitched roofs R. The hinged arms with the nets supported therebetween are pivoted downwardly to rest against the roof to provide fall arrest covering over the lower sections of the roof of between 2 and 3 m in height. The base members and consequently the hinged arms are spaced apart by a distance which corresponds to the spacing between the portions of the roof so that the arms are effectively supported on the roof portions. It will be realised that the base members span the gutter and need not rest thereon.

In a modification suitable for use at the edge of a pitched roof, one set of hinged arms is fixed by clamping means, which may take any convenient form, to the base members and/or walkways such that they are rigidly fixed at 90 to the base member thereby providing an upstanding side rail. This makes the assembly suitable for use along the outer edge of a roof when it is suitably attached to the roof.

It is preferable that the assembly is constructed from lightweight material and aluminium has been found to be suitable to provide the base members, arms and walkway. The assembly can be permanently or temporarily installed.

The assembly as described above with reference to the drawings overcomes a number of the safety problems associated with working in a restricted valley gutter. The problems are, to a large extent, caused by the nature of the fragile roof sheets on either side of the valley and, dependent in some cases upon the age of the gutter, the strength of the structure of the gutter itself. By its nature the gutter is often wet and slippery.

In these circumstances dangerous conditions arise whereby the person walking along the gutter can have his ankles or protective clothing caught on the bottom of roof sheets protruding into the gutter which could cause a fall. Clearly if this fall is not along the length of the gutter, and this will be unusual, the resultant sideways fall onto the fragile roof could result in a fall through

the roof. Additionally danger could be experienced from tripping over guttering material which has become loose or guttering material which is slippy as a result of wet debris therein.

Various modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example the arrangement for hinging the arms to the base member can be amended, the construction of the base member can be amended, the dimensions of the base member can be amended depending upon the working conditions. The nylon netting may be replaced by lightweight aluminium members, for example longitudinally extending members, aluminium mesh etc. The walkways may be slatted or may be covered by a grille-like material. The walkways may be arranged such that they are discontinuous whereby access for maintenance to the gutter can be provided.

In another modification (not illustrated) the base members are formed from a rectangular, preferably square, central tubular section 12. The slots in the plate members at the ends of the walkways are correspondingly shaped. This reduces any tendency for the arms to "rotate" about the walkways when a load is applied to the safety net. In another modification the free ends of the hinged arms could be tied together by a, preferably rigid, tie member.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

Claims 1. A roof safety assembly comprising at least two mutually spaced base members, each base member having laterally extending arms hinged by their ends to the base member, a walkway mounted between the base members and safety members extending between corresponding arms to provide a barrier.
2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the safety barrier is a net.
3. An assembly according to claims 1 or 2, wherein means are provided for fixing the hinged arms in one or more predetermined positions relative to the base member.
4. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the spacing between base members corresponds to the spacing between portions of the roof on which the assembly is to be used.
5. An assembly according to claim 3 or claim 4 when dependent on claim 3, wherein said means can fix one or both arms substantially at right angles to the base member.
6. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the walkway is a lightweight reinforced aluminium member with a non-slip surface.
7. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the base members comprise a tubular section having plate members protruding from each end, the arms being hinged to the plate members.
8. An assembly according to claim 7, wherein the tubular section is of circular or rectangular cross-section.
9. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the walkway is provided with fitments at or near each end adapted to fix onto the

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base members.
10. An assembly according to claim 9, wherein the fitments are plate members with downwardly directed semicircular or rectangular slots formed therein.
11. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein hook bolts are provided to clamp the walkways to the base members.
12. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the walkway is discontinuous to provide for access below the walkway.
13. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each hinged arm has brackets welded to the upper surface to which D shackles are fitted, the D shackles anchoring a non-perishable nylon safety net.
14. An assembly according to claim 13, wherein the edge of the net adjacent to the walkway is fastened by hook bolts to the sides of the walkway.
15. An assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein a tie member extends between the free ends of adjacent arms
16. A roof safety assembly substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
17. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.