Residential And Light Commercial Roofing

Worksafe is unable to give any dispensation to the Roofing Industry from the requirements of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 2015 and the Regulations of 1995.

Most residential buildings fall within a 3 m to 4 m height category and this height is measured from the edge of the soffit. Worksafe recognizes that experienced workers may work within these heights without the necessity of edge protection or harness surface, but certain conditions apply.

• Workers should have undergone safety training.
• Pitched roofs with a smooth surface less than or equal to 30°.
• Pitched roofs with a textured surface less than or equal to 35°.

The intention of these conditions is to make the act of cladding the roof by skilled and trained workers, a separate act to that of working on a roof by other trades.

Textured surface roofs such as textured metal tiles, unglazed clay tiles, and asphalt shingles are regarded as providing an extra 5% secure footing, as opposed to a smooth surface. Smooth surface roofs include painted metal tiles, unpainted, and pre-painted profiled metal cladding.

Before any work is commenced, in all cases there is a requirement that the roofing contractor will have had sufficient safety training and education, that site hazard identification has been undertaken, and that a contractors safety policy is in place.

If there are individual site hazards, precautions need to be implemented at all heights. Hazards should be eliminated, isolated or minimised by the use of fall protection equipment.