Height safety for solar companies

Is your solar installation site a disaster waiting to happen?
Solar is a high risk, high reward business. The benefits are fantastic for both the supplier and consumer--what other industry provides 20 years’ guaranteed cashflow and saves the planet? Unfortunately, these benefits come with serious worker risks, that include hefty fines, worker injury, and death due to working at height. Over 350 workers have died from height-related incidents since 2015. We don’t want your company to experience tragedy, so we’ve put together a quick primer on rooftop safety compliance.
OH&S
Solar is still a relatively new field, so there is still confusion surrounding best practices and regulatory standards. However, ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law. The national authority on work place safety and legislation Safe Work Australia and individual State and Territory authorities are still working out the exact details for solar industry but considers solar energy employees to fall under the coverage of the ​Electrical Trades category. If your team hasn’t read the guidelines, please put that on their agenda.
Ladder Compliance
Jobsite risk starts first thing in the morning when the install crew climbs up to the roof. The good news is that there are several easy best practices that minimize risk.
First, the ladder needs to be the correct material. Under no circumstances should your crew use electricity conducting metal ladders. All ladders should be fiberglass.
Second, the ladder must be placed at a safe 4 to 1 angle. It should rest 4 foot from the wall for every 4 feet of height extended.
Third, the installers need to follow WorkSafe rules when climbing. They need to follow the three-point rule (either two hands and one foot, or two feet and on hand making contact at all time) and they should never stand on the top rung.
Fall​ ​Protection
The risks don’t stop when the crew reaches the roof. All crew members MUST wear a personal fall system, and they MUST receive the proper training. It is imperative that the crew constantly
monitor the system’s slack. Recently a nineteen year old electrical apprenicte fell to his death on a solar job site because his fall system was too slack to prevent impact.
Safety regulations might seem like an annoyance that just slows down job timelines. But, the hazards are very real. Six-figure fines, potential lawsuits, worker injuries, and death pose risks that far outweigh any benefit from slacking on safety compliance.