RCCS SAFETY REFRESHER TRAINING PROGRAM MODULE THREE – ROOF DECK AWARENESS

Duty To Have Fall Protection The employer shall determine if the walking/working surface on which its employees are to work have the strength and structural integrity to support employees safely. Employees shall be allowed to work on those surfaces only when the surface have the requisite strength and structural integrity. In the event the a deck has damage or is potentially not strong enough to hold employees, equipment, and material fall arrest procedures or a catch platform/ net immediately below the working surface should be implemented.

Types of Roof Decking Corrugated Metal Wood Gypsum Tectum Explain to employees the different types of building that would have each of these decks. Metal is typically the most common type of deck found on the majority of flat buildings. Wood Decking is common in houses. Tongue and groove was once common in older municipal buildings and factories, but is rare in newer buildings. Tectum and Gypsum are commonly found in municipal building such as schools. Different decks are more common in different sections of the country.

Decking Deterioration Corrugated Metal Rust Electrolysis Wood Dry Rot Saturation Crushed / Split Gypsum Moisture Spalling Cracked / Split Dry Tectum Most of the damage that occurs to decking is due to water damage. Other ways damage can occur to decking is from weather, material being dropped on the roof, or a chemical reaction within the building.

Hazard Identification Interior Evaluations Covered Skylights Water stains Rust Sagging Cracked/Peeling Paint Humidity Owner’s Representative Age of Building Structural Design Constant Leaks Interior evaluations should be conducted prior to rooftop evaluations. The picture on the bottom shows a warehouse loading dock with a tectum deck. OSHA conducted an investigation of the project after one of the crew members fell onto the concrete loading platform. No citations were issued because the employer showed they had taken special precautions to identify and replace deteriorate decking prior the production crew arriving onsite.

Hazard Identification Interior Evaluations Water stains Rust Sagging Cracked/Peeling Paint Humidity Owner’s Representative Age of Building Structural Design Constant Leaks Owner Rep’s are a good source to get addition information about the building. A leak history can info you to locations where problems may exist.

Hazard Identification Exterior Evaluations Ponding Repairs / Patches Sagging Spongy Insulation Infrared Scans Pay close attention to areas with ponded water and where a patch is present. Patches should lead you to believe that existing damage is present to the roof and potentially to the deck. An infrared scan can show where moisture is present in the insulation. An infrared scan is best complete a dawn on a sunny day. By doing it later on a sunny day, the water potentially in the roof has the ability to warm all day. Moisture will hold the temperature longer compared to dry insulation.

Employees identified wet gypsum decking material Employees were able to see that the roof was deteriorated from the top. It is always preferred to first conduct an under deck inspection. Employees identified wet gypsum decking material

100% tie off utilized while working at edge and around roof opening Please not it is always preferred to tie-off overhead. This will help limit the fall as much as possible. Employees should also consider proper clearance distances to ensure they will not hit the next lower level. 100% tie off utilized while working at edge and around roof opening

100% tie off utilized while working at edge and around roof opening This crew was utilizing a fall restraint system. Employees were tied off in a manner that would allow them to reach the edge of the opening, but not step in to it. 100% tie off utilized while working at edge and around roof opening

Decking Go-Over Sistering Sheets Galvanized Metal Plates Depends on flutes Primarily B-decking Galvanized Metal Plates 2’ x 2’ 3’ x 3’ Etc. By placing a new sheet of deck over the old, you can strengthen the system, and have employees less exposed to a fall hazard.

Eliminate the Fall – Interior Scaffolding Interior scaffolding can be used as a catch platform and should be set as close to the working surface as possible, but never more than six feet in depth.

Eliminate the Fall – Netting Systems Employees are using guardrails to enclose the work area and netting as the fall protection into the opening.

Fall Protection Options Corrugated Metal / Wood Roof Anchors Fall Protection Carts Horizontal Lifelines Gypsum / Tectum Toggle bolt 2”x 10” – attach roof anchor Fasten roof anchor to steel support beams Feed choker cable through deck and around steel support beams Uses: Removing or installing coping Tear-off and installation of leading edge Removal and replacement of in-field roof deck Installing or dismantling edge guardrail systems Working around roof openings Removing or installing covers or skylights Snow removal Different fall protection carts have different setup requirements. You should always refer to the owner’s manual prior to setting up a fall protection cart.

Safe Work Practices Hazard Identification Sequence scope of work Flag off suspicious section of decking Transfer marks / measurements from interior inspection Sequence scope of work Maintaining a solid working surface Have replacement sheets pre-cut / ready to be in installed immediately In addition to flagging of the bad areas, spray paint can also be used to mark them on the roof, but this would not constitute fall protection. Flagging off the bed deck can only be used as a fall protection method when employees are not going in an area with bad decking, unless properly tied off. Plywood laid out to provide solid working surface.

Deck Safety Awareness: Ponding water or spongy insulation is a sign moisture may be trapped in the insulation? True____ False_____ The roofing system itself may have enough strength to support a worker walking across the roof? True____ False_____ Decking may look solid from the bottom, but can be deteriorated under the roofing system? True____ False_____ Water intrusion does not affect gypsum or tectum decking? True____ False_____ Netting the inside of the building is one method of providing fall protection when replacing a deck? True____ False_____ Name:_________________ Date:__________________