1. RCCS SAFETY REFRESHER TRAINING PROGRAM
MODULE THREE – ROOF DECK AWARENESS

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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.

12. 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.

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

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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:__________________