FALL PROTECTION FOR STANDING SEAM ROOFS

Standing seam roofs are very popular for a variety of reasons, their modern look, the fact that they last a long time, or the way they protect the structure. But when working on said roofs, workers need to be able to tie off in order to work safely. However, traditional fall protection measures often cannot be installed on the standing seams without damaging them. For this reason special anchorage points have been developed.

Special fall protection installation

The XTrusion base plate, for example, provides a fall protection anchor point for standing seam roofs. The base plate is connected to the roof structure through clamps that pinch around the roof seam. This means no penetration of the roof occurs, ensuring that the roof remains watertight.

The aluminum base profile forms the connection between the seam clamps, and the anchor point or lifeline system components. The XTrusion base plate can be fixed to round standing seams or double lock standing seams. Whether the roof is flat, or sloped (with a maximum pitch of 15°), the XTrusion base plate helps keep workers safe while they work.

The base plate can either be used as a single anchor point, or it can become a start, end or intermediate for a horizontal lifeline system. When used as a single anchor point only one user can be attached to the XTrusion base plate.

When used as part of a horizontal lifeline system, calculations can be made to ensure multiple people can use the system simultaneously. Want to know more about horizontal lifeline calculations? Read our blog about ODIN, our horizontal lifeline calculation tool.

Fall arrest or fall restraint on standing seam roof

Depending on the work situation the XTrusion base plate can be used to form a fall restraint or a fall arrest system for working on a standing seam roof.

A fall restraint system allows a user to work safely on a roof, without being able to fall. The system literally restricts the user from falling over an edge. This is often accomplished by having a lanyard that is shorter than the distance from the anchor point to the roof edge.

With a fall arrest system a user can fall over an edge, but their fall will be stopped before they hit a lower level. When using a fall arrest system an energy absorption method will need to be integrated in the anchor point. Otherwise the structure of the roof can become damaged due to the impact of a falling person.

Installation examples

Learn more about the installation of the XTrusion base plate in our productfinder, for example, check out the installation of a horizontal lifeline system on a standing seam roof profile.