WHEN TO INSTALL A LIFELINE

As described in the report on falls from height prepared by INAIL (2017):

“Falls from height represent about a third of fatal accidents in the workplace recorded by the Infor.Mo.[1] surveillance system”.

That is why there is the genuine need to guarantee safe working environments capable of protecting those who work at height.
In fact, the legislation and regulations currently in force on fall protection aim to design and implement fall protection systems in order to allow any operator to work safely in the maintenance phases of systems, repairs to roofs, maintenance of photovoltaic or air conditioning systems or TV antennas or any equipment installed at height.

The current legislation in force requires the provision and installation of a fall arrest system for each new building, civil or industrial, or in the event of extraordinary maintenance of the roof or installation of systems on it.

In general terms, it can be said that it is mandatory for the owner or administrator of a property to guarantee the presence of suitable protection measures for those who work on the roof of their home or on another work area at height. (for example a terrace), as expressly required by the Consolidated Law on Health and Safety at Work Legislative Decree 81/08.

These protective measures can consist of guardrails, fall arrest nets or alternatively anchors or fixed or temporary lifelines to which the worker can be secured by means of a harness and a connection system.

FLEXIBLE lifelines with steel cables or point anchors almost always represent the best value for money system, GIVEN THE INCLINED SLOPE CONFORMATION OF THE ROOFS OF ITALIAN BUILDINGS.

No worker (antenna installer, construction worker, solar panel maintenance technician, etc.) can climb onto the roof unless a system has been installed to anchor and prevent them from falling from a height. The building owner or administrator is responsible for ensuring they are in place, set up and used correctly.

[1] National surveillance system for fatal and serious accidents at work, currently present in the National Prevention Plan (2014-2018) of the Regions.