If you’ve ever stood on a tilting rooftop, dangled off the edge of a high rise, or operated on a steel beam thirty stories up, you’ve encountered roof anchor points. Roof anchors are what you link to with a lanyard to make sure you are safe when working heightened above the ground, and the points connect lifelines, lanyards, and other types of tie-off to keep an employee from falling. Roof anchors can range from as plain as a D-ring connection to as intricate as a whole lifeline system. There are both temporary and permanent anchor points available. A structurally sturdy frame is attached to an anchor. Roof Anchor points are typically fixed on the roof but can also be installed on doors and windows are essential for a fall protection system.
In A Fall Protection System, What Is An Anchor?
An anchor is a necessary component of any fall protection system. The anchor is typically a device that has been specifically designed and placed to link to and completely supports a fall protection system. Employees will attach their lanyard or lifeline to an anchor using a fall protection system. A secure connection point for a fall protection system is called anchorage.
Anchors must be of the correct type for the job and properly installed. They are part of a fall prevention system intended to keep a person from hitting the ground if they fall from a great height.
What Should Be Looked At When Inspecting Anchor Points?
Before connecting the fall protective equipment, visually verify the anchors for damage, corrosion, and appropriateness. Permanent anchors should be inspected at least once a year or more frequently if specified by the manufacturer. Keep records of the inspections, including the inspection date, the person who performed the inspection, and the person’s name and signature, as well as any modifications or repairs made to the anchor point.
After a fall, always have anchors evaluated for stability and strength by a professional engineer knowledgeable with fall prevention systems or the manufacturer.
The Installation Of The Numerous Anchors
The first query is whether you plan to place it on a roof or another structure. Commercial, residential, and standing seam roofs are all types of roofs. In addition, concrete, structural steel and metal decking, doors and windows and doors would be other structures.
Roof Anchor Point: A roof may utilize an anchor point with a singular point fall arrest tie-off. If you have a standing seam roof that cannot be pierced, you could use a portable deadweight anchor. It is necessary to use a two-way anchor or a roof clamp.
Concrete is more complex, but it is achievable and safe with wall bolts-on, a hollow core, drop-through anchors and swivels. Steel beams are not a concern when utilizing cables, rigging clamps, trolley anchors, and bolt-hole anchors.
Door and Windows: are utilized as anchors with a jamb anchor, which necessitates the usage of a self-retracting lifeline. A parapet, for example, can be anchored using a reusable parapet anchor system and used as a fall protection point.
What Are The Many Types Of Anchors Available For Fall Protection?
There are various anchors available, and they can differ depending on the industry, job, building type, installation type, and structure. However, the following are the most common types of anchor systems for fall protection:
Permanent anchors: are constructed with precise load and design requirements in mind. Then, they are permanently installed as an integrated element of the building or structure for fall protection (e.g., roof anchors on high-rise buildings).
Temporary or moveable anchors: These anchors are intended to be attached to a structure by following particular installation procedures (e.g., nail-on anchors used by roofers, wire rope slings, synthetic webbing slings, beam sliders, beam clamps, etc.).
When you need a roof anchor point, invest in the safety and security of your team by buying the best system available. Speak with our skilled professionals to learn everything you need to know about these designs. To learn more, please contact us today.