Essential Roof Maintenance Safety Tips

October 4, 2019

Safety is your biggest concern when going up on your roof for repairs and inspections. What’s the use of having a roof over your head if you’re going to end up under the roof of a hospital? These roof maintenance safety tips will help you make sure that you come down from your roof safely on your ladder and not on your back.

Have Safety Equipment Ready

Making sure that you have the right type of gear to go up on your roof should be the first thing you do before starting maintenance. We’re all human and these safety tools help make sure that any mistakes aren’t as punishing or fatal. Some of the necessary tools that you need include:

• A Ladder. Your ladder is responsible for getting you up and down the roof safely. Make sure that it is in good condition before using it. It shouldn’t be rusty or have any missing or loose parts as this could cause the ladder to collapse under your weight. You can also catch tetanus if you get cut on any parts that have rust on it.
• Safety Harnesses. A safety harness is a literal lifeline in case you ever slip while doing roof maintenance.
• Boots with adequate traction. Traction is an important part of any decent pair of boots. These help keep you planted firmly on your roof and keeps you from slipping off.
• Safety Goggles. If you’re working your roof then you’re definitely going to need some sort of eye protection. This keeps debris from hitting you in the eyes. It also makes sure that you can keep working even after a bird has hit you in the face.

Keep an Eye on the Weather

A great way to prepare for the weather is to make sure to pay attention to weather forecasts on your television. You can even visit sites online to check the weather on your maintenance day. If there is a chance of the weather taking a turn for the worse, make sure to reschedule. It isn’t worth the risk.

The risk involved in going up on your roof during terrible weather isn’t worth it. Working on your roof during a thunderstorm is just asking for trouble. The rain and wind will make it hard to see and make the roof far more slippery than usual. Some winds can even get strong enough to send a piece of debris straight into a tree and lodge it in the tree’s trunk.

Never Work Alone

Bringing someone else to work on the roof with you is as important as knowing the weather, and the safety tools you bring. Having an extra set of hands not only lets you work on your roof faster, but they might be able to spot things that you won’t be able to. They’ll also be able to help ensure your safety by being there in case something goes terribly wrong. If you’re alone and end up having an accident then there won’t be anyone to call an ambulance. So, bring a buddy and always work together.

Be Psychologically Ready

Acrophobia or the fear of heights can be detrimental for anyone wanting to maintain their roof. If you have a history of acrophobia then either have someone else check your roof while you support them from a lower floor or hire a professional team to do the roof maintenance for you. Either way, it is far less dangerous than going up there yourself and then getting paralyzed by fear.