Bloke Doing Roofing Treatment

[Tilly2]

Yesterday, a house across the way from us had a group of men cleaning the moss of the roof.

None of them were wearing any sort of safety equipment. The bloke on the roof, who was doing the washing with a power tool was just perched on the ladder which was laid on the roof. He had no harness on, nor a hard hat. I was on pins all day. Fortunately, he came to no harm but there were times when it all seemed very dangerous.

Surely, he should have had some sort of safety equipment? What do you think?

[Tilly2]

.....and is it necessary to have the moss washed of the roof?

[ummmm]

It blocks guttering and drains.

[Noe-schitt]

Unfortunately companys that have no regard to basic Health & Safety are generaly not very good at what they do and your neighbour could find they have created a lot of damage to their roof

[Cloverjo]

I suppose they feel safe so don't bother. I don't know if there are any specific rules regarding it. I think they have to do a Health and Safety evaluation, but that could just be the gaffer thinking "Are the lads able to balance? Is the wind too strong? Are our ladders long enough? Ok, we're fine. Up you go, guys."

I don't know if it's necessary to have the moss washed off. My 70 year old dad has been forbidden by my sister and me from doing it himself now.

[Cloverjo]

Thinking about it again, on those programmes about dodgy workmen, it's always the worst ones who don't use any safety equipment.

[melv16]

That's the way most roofers work, tilly. As long as the ladder is securely held either over the ridge or resting on the gutter, there should be no problem. This method has been used for centuries.

[Tilly2]

The ladder was secured over the ridge, Melv but it looked dangerous to me.

I must be fretting unnecessarily.

There are at least six tiles missing from the side of the roof that we can see. I suppose they'll come back today and put those tiles back.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah my bruv was in a property neighbour dispute with his er neighbour and must missed the worker slipping off the roof

I offered to go out and say - we didnt get that on video - can yo do that again please ?

but it was a kinda nasty dispute

photograph them and the car and send to elf and safety
if you feel strongly


a few years ago roofer were clearling asbestos roofing with diddly squat
and I thought to myself - o I dont know the regs I thought I was much stricter.
and as the dust blew around I realised i DID know the regs .....

[Tilly2]

Peter, I don't feel that strongly about it to get them into trouble. If they were working on my house, that would be an entirely different matter.

It looks funny now. It's a semi and one half of the roof looks brand new, with missing tiles and the other half has 90 years of dirt and moss on it.

[EDDIE51]

My best mate was a roofer. He would go to the pub every lunch time and have 5 pints of Guinness then straight back on the roof, no safety equipment just a ladder. Retired now but he never had an accident.

[Tilly2]

He must have led a charmed life, Eddie.

[murraymints]

roofers are a law unto themselves a times Tilly..but if he was using a proper ridge /roof ladder then it is fine although it looks a bit hairy...same with aerial erectors !

[RATTER15]

I have never known a roofer to wear a harness to be honest, they just walk around as though they are on the floor. The ladder laid on the roof was most likely a roof ladder hooked over the ridge, they are perfectly safe if used correctly, I used them for many years.

[Prudie]

Tilly this is a coincidence as only last week we had presentations at work from a guy who fell 10 feet off a ladder and is now paralysed from the neck down (he was only 24). You can see him on youtube, name Jason Anker. He made the point that big companies do tend to use all the safety gear but some of the smaller ones don't bother, there is a 'he-man' attitude about it.
It made me think as we had a guy working on his own redoing our thatch ridge, no ropes, no harness, nothing. Up there alone all day.

[Tilly2]

That's a sad story, Prudie.

[Tilly2]

He was using a ridge ladder, Ratter but he was holding a very powerful jet washer in both hands and twisting around. He could easily have been knocked off balance.

[ummmm]

My uncle fell 40ft from scaffolding.

[Tilly2]

......and.....?

[ummmm]

So even safety measures are not always safe.

He's alive. Pinned and plated but generally okay.

[Tilly2]

That's good to hear, Ummmm.