Handrails, guardrails, balustrades and barriers are collective protection: everyone behind them is protected without having to do anything. That is their strength, and it is also why a defect in one is serious — nobody clips on to a guardrail, so nobody notices when it has stopped working.
Avrasya Safety inspects roof edge protection of every type, whoever installed it, and issues a written report and certificate for each system.
What the inspection covers
Corrosion is the usual finding, particularly at the base plates and at any point where dissimilar metals meet. On counterweighted systems we check that the ballast is still present and correctly positioned — weights get moved during roof works and are not always put back. On fixed systems we check the anchors themselves and the substrate around them.
We also check geometry: height above the walking surface, the gap below the bottom rail, and the spacing of any intermediate rails or infill. A railing that has been extended or altered after installation frequently no longer meets the dimensions it was certified to.
- Structural condition of posts, rails and infill
- Corrosion at base plates, fixings and dissimilar metal joints
- Ballast present and correctly positioned on counterweighted systems
- Anchor and substrate condition on fixed systems
- Height, gaps and rail spacing against the relevant standard
- Condition of self-closing gates and access openings
- Alterations made since installation
Frequency and records
Equipment used for work at height must be inspected at suitable intervals by a competent person, and the result recorded. For permanent roof edge protection an annual inspection is the normal interval, with an additional inspection after any event that could have affected the system — a storm, roof works, or an impact.
Every inspection we carry out produces a written report listing each system, its condition, any defect found and the action required, together with a certificate for the systems that pass. The report is written so that it can be handed to an inspector without further explanation.
Repair and replacement
Where a defect is found we quote for the repair at the same time as issuing the report, so there is no second visit to establish what is needed. Individual components can usually be replaced without dismantling the run. Where a system has been altered beyond what its certification covers, we set out what would be required to bring it back into compliance.