Rooftop Fall Protection Comparison: Pros & Cons

Overview

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 Fall Protection.

• Passive fall protection is most 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.

What is the difference between the 3 types of fall protection?

Pricing information is based upon estimated pricing of typical systems as of March 2019, our assumption is that price changes affect all systems equally.

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Non-Penetrating Rooftop Guardrails

The best example of non-penetrating rooftop guardrail is the KeeGuard Safety Railing. 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

Pros and Cons

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

Pros and Cons

Horizontal Lifeline

Horizontal lifeline systems are built along a particular path of the rooftop. The rooftop worker ties off to the system using 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

Pros and Cons

Non-Penetrating Tie Off Anchor Points

Solutions such as the Weightanka and the Guardian Hammer fit into this category of 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

Pros and Cons

Download the Guide

Available as a downloadable PDF.