Denver Fire Department Takes Steps to Safeguard Firefighters on Roofs

Skylights are one of the most overlooked fall hazards on a roof. Afterall, they appear covered and seem an unlikely source of a fall. But they can be deceptively fragile, with constant sun exposure and precipitation breaking down the strength of the building materials. Nor are most skylights built to sustain the weight of a full-grown adult.

The Denver Fire Department learned to the detriment of their team that skylights can rarely hold up to the weight of a person stepping or falling into them.

Dangers of Skylight Fall Hazards

After multiple incidents involving skylight screens, the Denver FD has taken steps to safeguard its firefighters from risk as they walk a roof in pursuit of their jobs.

According to a CBS4 investigation after the tragic death of a Denver firefighter in 2015, it was not the first time an unprotected skylight imperiled a department member’s life.

Back in 2012, another member of the team had a “near miss” when he fell through a fiberglass skylight on a warehouse roof and, thankfully, sustained only minor injuries.

Now, while this investigation focused mostly on the Denver area, this type of fall hazard is a concern throughout North America as there have been numerous incidents of workers falling through skylights or other fiberglass panels: 

• Macon, Georgia (November 2023): A 54-year-old laborer fell approximately 19 feet to his death after stepping on an unguarded skylight while removing debris from a warehouse roof. The employer, NOR-D LLC, was cited for failing to provide necessary fall protection systems. DOL 
• Southeast Texas (October 2021): A worker installing telecommunications wiring on a rooftop fell through a fiberglass roof lighting panel, plummeting about 20 feet. The individual suffered a head laceration, multiple rib fractures, a punctured lung, and other injuries. Industry Business Roundtable 
• Southeast Texas (November 2021): An employee working on a commercial roof fell through a skylight approximately 40 feet to the warehouse floor below, resulting in fatal injuries. Industry Business Roundtable 
• Chelmsford, Ontario, Canada (February 2018): A worker removing snow from the roof of a Home Hardware Building Centre fell through a skylight over 17 feet to the ground, sustaining injuries. The employer was fined for not providing proper fall protection. Construct Connect

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandates that employers protect employees from falling through skylights. According to OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(4)(i): 

"Each employee on walking/working surfaces shall be protected from falling through holes (including skylights) more than 6 feet (1.8 m) above lower levels, by personal fall arrest systems, covers, or guardrail systems erected around such holes."

Additionally, OSHA specifies that when covers are used to protect skylights, they must be capable of supporting at least 200 pounds applied perpendicularly at any one area on the cover.

Federal and Local Skylight Fall Protection Compliance

In chapter 24 of its building code, Denver’s Fire Department code takes this even further, now statingthat “Fall protection [on skylight screens] must be capable of withstanding a load of 400 pounds applied perpendicularly at any one square foot areas on the screen or skylight.  Covers shall be secured in place to prevent accidental removal or displacement. 

Following the most recent Denver incident, the National Institute of Safety and Health issued a nationwide alert to fire departments about the danger of fiberglassskylights. And Denver is not the only municipality to make changes. The Chicago City Council recently passed the “Price Ordinance,” named after Lt. Andrew Price who passed from injuries sustained in a fall through a light shaft in 2023. The ordinance mandates that openings on flat roofs, such as light shafts and skylights, be adequately covered to safeguard firefighters and others.

So, not only at the federal level do you need to protect your skylights, but the local Denver Fire Department is also speaking directly with building owners to enforce compliance and begin protecting their skylights. This is where the story connectsus here at Simplified Safety as we have begun speaking with building owners in the Denver area who have been directly contacted to protect their skylights with skylight screens or guardrail.

Skylight Fall Protection Solutions

As contractors and facility managers seek to upgrade their facilities to meet these requirements, Simplified Safety stands ready to provide solutions for your skylights that safeguard anyone on your roof. 

Skylight Screens

As mentioned in Denver’s fire code, skylight screens are an acceptable form of fall protection, so long as they can withstand a load of 400 pounds. Skylight screens provide a space-saving fall protection solution without needing personal fall protection equipment. 

Skylight screens are a wire mesh that covers the area of your skylight and mounts directly to the skylight frame. Each skylight screen is customized to the exact dimensions of your skylight to ensure a precise fit with optimal fall protection.

Skylight Guardrail 

Skylight guardrail is a non-penetrating fall protection solution for your rooftop skylights. The guardrail creates a perimeter around your skylight to ensure fire fighters and other individuals on your rooftop do not get close enough to the skylight itself.

The modular non-penetrating guardrail is customized to fit around the dimensions of your skylight, is easy to install on any rooftop, and does not compromise the integrity of your rooftop. 

In Review

Skylights are a potential hazard that is thankfully being recognized more and more by cities and fire departments. 

It is crucial to ensure that first responders and any other individual that access rooftops are safe from all forms of fall hazards.

If you have questions about skylight fall protection or any general fall protection inquiries, please contact our fall protection experts who can help answer any questions and provide remote fall hazard surveys of your rooftop.