Fall from height and fall protection in roof work.

Carpenters, floor layers and thatchers often work at heights, and falls are among the most serious accidents in the trade. A fall from just a few meters can cause permanent injury or death. Therefore fall protection is not something you assess from day to day — it is regulated by the Danish Working Authority's guidelines and the rules must be followed every time working at height.

§Collective safety before individual

The guiding principle in the Work Environment Authority's guidance is that collective safety measures take precedence over individual protection. This means that railings, screens, scaffolding, covering, walkways, roof ladders, and safety nets must always be considered and used before resorting to personal fall protection in the form of harness and rope. Collective protection protects everyone on the site at once and does not require the individual to remember to harness themselves.

§2-metre rule

There is risk of falling when working or walking closer than 2 metres from a roof edge. If you need to work further in than 2 metres from the edge the risk can be secured with clear and durable barriers placed at least 2 metres from the edge. Coming closer than that actual edge protection must be established — typically a railing or scaffold that extends above the roof edge.

§Railing that holds

Railings and screens built on the construction site must be erected according to DS/EN 13374 on temporary railing systems or at an equivalent safety level. The railing must be able to withstand a person falling against it, and minimum C16 wood must be used if the railing is made of wood. At gables, railings must be installed when the fall height is more than 2 meters.

• 01Hand rail, knee rail and foot rail — so you can neither fall over under or through
• 02Solid fastening — the handrail must be able to absorb the impact from a falling person
• 03All the way around — edges, gables, holes and recesses must all be secured
• 04Breakthrough — holes in roof and deck covered with fastened, durable plates

§Personal fall protection

When collective safeguards aren't possible, personal fall protection is used: a full-body harness connected to a safe anchor point via a line with a fall arrester. Staff must be trained and instructed on using the equipment before it's used, and the equipment must be inspected regularly. A harness that's incorrectly set up or anchored in too weak a point gives false security.

Fall protection must be in place before anyone goes up — not during. Use the checklist at startup every day and again if scaffold, weather, or work area changes. Remember the principle: collective protection (railings, scaffold, net) always comes before personal fall protection with harness.