The change to rooflight products over the past ten years has been phenomenal and one particular area of focus has been the industry’s relentless commitment to demonstrating that their products and assemblies are non-fragile. While, NARM (National Association of Rooflight Manufacturers) has been actively involved with the HSE and ACR (Advisory Committee for Roofwork) to establish definitions for the classification of non-fragility, Chairman Chris Pearce outlines the work that has been done and demystifies some of these definitions. When CDM Regulations were introduced in the early 90s, they required designers and builders to avoid using fragile components comprising the roofing assembly. The problem with the Regulations was that they did not define the parameters by which an assembly could be deemed ‘Non-Fragile’. The rooflight industry was the first to prompt the HSE to define their requirements. Research was then carried out to determine typical loadings that would occur when people trip and fall. From the results of this work, a test regime was developed and established to test roof assemblies. To facilitate the adoption of this regime as, ‘The Standard’, all sections of the roofing industry were called together to determine and agree the best and most relevant test criteria for the determination and classification of Non-Fragility. From this was spawned the Advisory Committee for Roofwork (ACR) whose first publication was the definitive ACR(M)001 : 2000 Test For Fragility of Roofing Assemblies. This document is now the “Bible” for the roofing industry to establish and demonstrate that their products and assemblies are non-fragile. All new build design must refer to this book and all new roofing work must now be constructed to meet this non-fragile standards. This includes rooflights of all types that are readily available to meet these requirements. In keeping with the requirement to only offer non-fragile roof assemblies to satisfy the agreed standard test, the rooflight industry has made major changes to its product range since the early 90s. Examples of this are:- a) Polycarbonate, a virtually unbreakable clear thermoplastic, is the benchmark material for non-fragile modular rooflights. b) Glass reinforced polyester (GRP) has been increased in thickness or weight from 1.83kg/m2 to 2.44 and 3kg/m2. c) GRP lining panels have been similarly increased in weight to make the lining system alone non-fragile. d) GRP manufacturers now have systems available that offer non-fragility for 25 years and in this they are leading the way to develop long term non-fragility. e) There are some GRP rooflights that are stronger than the profiled metal roofs that surround them and will remain non-fragile for the expected life of the roof. All NARM Members test their products for non-fragility and provide detailed specifications of assemblies to ensure that only non-fragile assemblies are designed and used for commercial, industrial, domestic and agricultural roofing, as well as for use on educational and health authority buildings. Misrepresentation by definition A recent incident of a roofing contractor falling to his death ‘through a fragile rooflight’ resulted in a highly misleading article in a well known construction publication. The implication of the article was that a rooflight was the reason for the man’s death and that the inclusion of rooflights in ‘all new buildings should be avoided because they pose an immediate danger to construction workers’. Our response was clear – the article was untruthful, misleading and factually questionable. The reality of the specific case was ...that the roof was being stripped off to be replaced, presumably because the whole roof had failed? It does not say so in the article, but we can assume that the roof was likely to be at least 30 years old. What is certain is that any roof of that age, whatever it is made of, will be fragile. The rooflights certainly will be, because thirty years ago they were sold as being fragile and, if the roof was made of asbestos cement, then it would have been sold as a fragile roof and notices should have been in place to that effect. If the roof was metal and being replaced, then the roof will be heavily corroded and therefore, the metal will be fragile. The fragility of the roof or rooflight clouds the very fundamental question - why was anyone on the roof, without all the appropriate safety equipment and work systems in place to stop him from falling off or through the roof? Or, at the very least, a fall arrest system to prevent him from hitting the ground? The reasons why this worker died were lack of planning, lack of risk assessment, lack of appropriate safety equipment and lack of training and possibly a lack of appropriate supervision. The owner of the building also has a responsibility to ensure that anyone he contracts to repair his roof is suitably competent to carry out the work in a safe and proper manner. These are the issues for the HSE to address. The future - Rooflights industry contributing to safer working environments Let’s not forget the great strides made by ACR and the roofing industry in achieving non-fragility of rooflights, the resulting reduction in deaths in new build (and absence of any recorded deaths through non-fragile constructions), the contribution of rooflights to safety inside buildings via HSG38 and Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regs. Following the massive improvements to safety in new build, the focus on roof safety should now be on refurbishment of existing fragile roofs and we herald the publication of the impending ACR’s ‘green book’ guidance document on this subject. We should also investigate and be alert to roofwork being carried out by those not experienced or competent to do so. Back to top