We carry a complete line of fall protection solutions
to keep your employees safe.
Explore our product based upon type: Fall Prevention,
Fall Arrest, & Fall Restraint.
What's the difference?
In this installation, KeeGuard non-penetrating rooftop railing was used to protect ventilation shafts on the roof of a building. These shafts are considered by safety regulations to be holes in the roof and must be protected with the proper guardrail. KeeGuard made it easy to protect the perimeter of the shaft without having to penetrate the roof or drill into the shaft.
KeeGuard can help you solve complicated fall protection problems on the roof. KeeGuard provides guardrail that can be placed around obstacles and hazards on the roof surface without penetrating the protective membrane. Ask our Sales Engineers how KeeGuard can help solve your rooftop safety problem.
OSHA has many safety videos that are available from their library for free. If you are an OSHA trainer you can request these videos via a PDF form available on the OSHA web site. Here is a listing of the videos that are available for the Fall Protection category. Take advantage of these resources if you can: it's your tax dollars at work.
Fall Protection
See also Housekeeping; Walking and Working Surfaces
Need to access a mezzanine or platform safely? Mezzanine and platform gates can help you gain access to that crucial space in a safe and efficient way. Mezzanine gates allow you to easily fork lift materials from a lower level onto a higher platform. Mezzanine gates can be manual, spring loaded or automated. There are three primary styles of mezzanine gates:
Pallet Gates - these spring loaded gates push open and quickly allow pallets to be loaded onto a mezzanine.
Horizontal Mezzanine Gates - these gates slide open to the side. These are best used when a large amount of overhead clearance is required. Horizontal mezzanine gates can be opened manually or through an electric automation system.
Vertical Mezzanine Gates - Vertical gates open up and down to allow materials to be loaded on and off the mezzanine.
The scope of this document is to give you a general outline of the different pros and cons of the fall protection systems that we offer.
There are two principal forms of fall protection covered in this document: Passive and Active.
Passive fall protection is mostly closely aligned with guardrail. Guardrail requires minimal inspection and virtually no training. Simply put, passive fall protection requires no action from the rooftop worker once the system is installed.
Active fall protection is typically aligned with horizontal lifelines and anchor points. It requires training, maintenance, inspection, and management on an on-going basis. Most importantly, it requires action from the user each time it is used.
Pricing information is based upon estimated pricing of typical systems as of September 2011, our assumption is that price changes affect all systems equally.
The best example of non-penetrating rooftop guardrail is the KeeGuard Rooftop Guardrail system. It is a counter-balanced system that is easy to install and can be adapted to just about any rooftop obstacle. Easily assembled by a two-man crew, it can protect large sections of roof perimeter or provide smaller sections of spot protection.
Costs
Installation Costs
Starts at $50.00 / linear foot + 16 man hours for ever 600’ linear feet
Training Costs
No training required
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Easy to install, no specialized training is required
Can easily be modified on site no welding required
No ongoing maintenance or training is required
Versitile - Can be built around existing rooftop obstacles such as HVAC units and roofs of varying heights
Durable 100% galvanized system
Tested for OSHA compliance
Architectural “look and feel”
Initial product cost is higher than other systems
Parapet Guardrail
Parapet guardrails are permanent guardrails that are attached directly to the side or top of a roof parapet. Parapet guardrails are less expensive than non-penetrating guardrail but will require more labor costs and a suitable parapet to install.
Costs
Installation Costs
$28.00 / linear foot + 32 man hours for every 600 linear feet
Training Costs
No training required
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Lower linear foot cost than a counter-balanced solution.
Easy to install, attaches directly to the parapet, avoiding penetration of the roof membrane.
No ongoing training is required
Can be built around existing rooftop obstacles such as HVAC units and roofs of varying heights
Suitable parapet is required
Railing has to be placed on parapet, making it more visible from below.
Higher installation costs
Special labor is required in most cases for proper sealing of penetrations
Penetrations may need to be maintained
Horizontal Lifeline
Horizontal lifeline systems are built along a particular path of the rooftop. The rooftop worker ties off to the system through the use of a harness and lanyard. Horizontal lifelines must be installed and maintained by specialized personnel. OSHA also requires all employees using the system to undergo competent person training for each system. Rescue plans and other safety management overheads are involved in all active fall protection systems.
Costs
Installation Costs
$40.00 / linear foot (varies greatly by location and configuration)
$100-200 equipment cost per person
Training Costs
Competent person training, system training
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Lower cost of product than most guardrail solutions
Not visible from the ground
Can be used in some circumstance where passive solutions will not work
Allows for more mobility around a roof than standard anchor points
Must be installed by certified installers
Ongoing maintenance
OSHA competent person training required by all employees using the system
Inspection required before every use
Requires the employee to wear fall protection equipment and properly tie off to the system.
Ongoing purchase of PPE (harnesses, lanyards, etc.)
Requires valid rescue plan
Requires attention from management to document and all of the above and validate that the safety plan is being followed.
Limits productivity to workers
Non-Penetrating Tie Off Anchor Points
Solutions such as the Kee Safety Weightanka and the Guardian Hammer fit into this category of portable, non-penetrating tie off points. These products allow workers to tie off in a particular location, but gives them the freedom to move the system when it is needed elsewhere.
Costs
Installation Costs
$3-4,000 for unit and one persons equipment
$100/linear foot (assuming a unit can protect 30 feet)
Training Costs
Competent person training, system training
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Systems are portable and can be moved
Relatively low cost of entry
Not visible from the ground
Does not penetrate the roof
OSHA competent person training required by all employees using the system
Inspection required before every use
Requires the employee to wear fall protection equipment and properly tie off to the system.
Ongoing purchase of PPE (harnesses, lanyards, etc.)
Requires valid rescue plan
Higher risk of incorrect use.
Requires attention from management to document and all of the above and validate that the safety plan is being followed.
Limits productivity to workers
Adds additional work time to each job for setting up and tearing down the anchor point.
Allows limited access before needing to be repositioned.
For additional reading on the difference in short-term and long-term costs between these two solutions, please see this series of posts on our web site:
Dan is our on site safety genius. He reads OSHA manuals for fun. Kidding aside, Dan's experience in the safety industry will be an asset to you and your company as you evaluate safety products and services. He likes receiving calls on his new iPhone, so give him a ring to talk about safety standards, equipment and services.
KeeWalk Rooftop Walkway makes it possible to traverse complicated roofs with a level walking surface. KeeWalk's modular nature and unique ability to traverse the rooftop with interlocking stair and flat surface sections make it the best choice for complicated metal roofs. The new terminal at the Madrid Airport has a very complicated roof pattern, and KeeWalk demonstrates its strength in this massive installation. These pictures speak volumes about the versatility and quality of the KeeWalk roof walkway system.
Find out More about KeeWalk
Get more information about KeeWalk right here on this website. We can help you understand the features and provide you with a quotation for your rooftop walkway project.
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