Roof Work Safe Work Method Statement

All workers conducting roof work must have completed working at heights training, typically the nationally recognized unit RIIWHS204D (Work safely at heights) or equivalent state-based qualifications covering hazard identification, hierarchy of control, use of edge protection and fall arrest systems, ladder safety, inspection and maintenance of fall protection equipment, and emergency response procedures. If workers will use mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs) for roof access, operators must hold high-risk work license WP for boom-type platforms. If fall arrest systems will be used, specific training in harness donning, anchor point selection, fall clearance calculation, and rescue procedures is required beyond basic heights training. Additionally, workers must receive site-specific induction covering the particular roof being accessed, identified hazards including fragile materials and powerline proximity, fall protection systems being used, safe access routes, emergency procedures, and communication protocols. For roofs where asbestos materials may be encountered, workers require asbestos awareness training covering health risks, material identification, and procedures if unexpected asbestos is discovered. Refresher training should be provided every two years minimum to maintain currency, and additional training is necessary when new equipment, materials, or work methods are introduced. Supervisors require enhanced training in risk assessment, supervision of high-risk work, and implementation of safe work method statements. Your SWMS must specify required competencies for each role, verify workers hold current training certificates, and establish procedures for workers who identify hazards they are not trained to manage. Maintain training records readily accessible for WorkSafe inspections.

Under Safe Work Australia's hierarchy of control, physical edge protection systems such as guardrails must be installed whenever reasonably practicable, in preference to personal fall arrest systems using harnesses. Edge protection is required for work within two metres of unprotected edges where falls of two metres or more could occur, and must be installed before work commences. Edge protection is considered reasonably practicable for most roof work situations including new construction, extended maintenance projects, and any work where the duration and nature of work justifies installation effort. Personal fall arrest systems using harnesses should only be used where physical edge protection is genuinely not reasonably practicable, such as on steep-pitched roofs where guardrails cannot be maintained vertical and at correct height, during brief inspections or emergency repairs where installation time is excessive relative to work duration, or during installation of edge protection itself before barriers are established. 'Not reasonably practicable' means genuinely impossible or highly impractical, not merely more difficult, expensive, or time-consuming than using harnesses. Regulatory inspectors will question any reliance on harnesses when edge protection could have been installed, viewing it as failure to apply hierarchy of control. If you determine edge protection is not practicable for specific work, document reasoning in your risk assessment explaining why physical barriers cannot be used. Never use 'quick job' or time pressure as justification - brief tasks have equal fall consequences to extended work. Your SWMS must specify which fall protection method will be used and justify selection based on risk assessment and hierarchy of control.

Any building constructed or renovated before December 31, 2003 should be assumed to contain asbestos until proven otherwise through laboratory testing by licensed assessors. Never attempt to identify asbestos visually as many asbestos-containing materials are indistinguishable from non-asbestos alternatives, and unexpected materials may contain asbestos. Before conducting roof work on pre-2004 buildings, engage a licensed asbestos assessor who will attend site, collect samples following prescribed procedures, and submit them to NATA-accredited laboratories for analysis using microscopy techniques. The assessment report will identify material type, asbestos percentage, material condition, location and extent, and recommendations for management. This assessment typically costs $300-$800 and provides legal confirmation of asbestos presence or absence. If asbestos is confirmed, determine whether your planned work will disturb the materials - work involving cutting, drilling, breaking, or removing asbestos requires specific controls beyond general roof work procedures. Painting, coating, or minor repairs may be low-disturbance activities, but still require asbestos awareness training, notification to property owners, use of P2 respirators, wet methods, and asbestos waste disposal. For work disturbing more than 10 square metres of asbestos, notification to WorkSafe is required seven days before commencing. If asbestos removal is necessary, engage licensed asbestos removalists with Class B licenses minimum. Never proceed with roof work on suspected asbestos materials without first obtaining testing confirmation - if you disturb asbestos unknowingly, you create serious health exposure and face prosecution for unlicensed asbestos work. Include asbestos assessment requirements in your pre-work planning for all roof work on older buildings.

Roof work must be suspended during any rainfall as wet roof surfaces become extremely slippery on both metal and tile roofs, dramatically increasing fall risk. Work must also stop when wind speeds exceed 40 km/h as workers can be destabilized on exposed roof surfaces, materials can be caught by wind creating projectile hazards, and dust and debris affect visibility and create eye hazards. All roof work must cease when Bureau of Meteorology issues thunderstorm warnings or when approaching storms are observed, due to lightning strike risk for workers in elevated exposed positions particularly when handling metal materials or using metal ladders. Extreme heat conditions when forecast temperatures exceed 35-38 degrees Celsius require implementation of heat stress controls including modified work schedules, mandatory rest cycles, and potentially work suspension during peak afternoon heat. Morning frost or dew must be allowed to evaporate completely before roof access as frozen or damp surfaces create slippery conditions. Your SWMS should establish specific weather trigger points for work suspension based on local conditions and roof characteristics - for example, lower wind thresholds may apply for high-rise work or very steep roofs. Empower workers to suspend work if they identify weather conditions creating hazards, regardless of forecast or schedule pressure. Check Bureau of Meteorology forecasts each morning before commencing roof work, and monitor conditions throughout work period as weather can deteriorate rapidly. Establish evacuation procedures for safely leaving roofs when weather changes, including securing partially completed work and maintaining safe descent routes. Never allow commercial pressure to override weather safety decisions - the consequences of weather-related falls are severe and entirely preventable through conservative work suspension policies.

Minimum clearance distances from overhead powerlines vary by voltage, with 3 metres being the minimum safe distance for standard domestic supply lines (230/400V) under energized powerline work regulations across Australian jurisdictions. For higher voltage lines including 11kV distribution lines, clearances of 5 metres or more are required. These clearances apply to any part of workers' bodies, ladders, tools, materials, or equipment at any time during work - not just when work is occurring directly adjacent to powerlines. Critically, these are minimum clearances under ideal conditions, and greater distances should be maintained where possible. If required work cannot maintain minimum clearances, contact the electricity distributor to arrange temporary powerline disconnection or installation of insulated powerline covers before work commences. Never attempt to work within clearance distances of energized powerlines assuming you can maintain adequate separation through care - wind, loss of balance, or inadvertent contact with long materials can cause contact without warning. When raising ladders for roof access, ensure no part of ladder can contact or approach within clearance distances of powerlines at any stage of raising, positioning, or use. Metal ladders and wet conditions increase electrical conductivity making contacts more likely to be fatal. If materials being lifted to roofs approach powerlines, arrange crane operations or material handling to maintain clearances, potentially requiring powerline isolation. Include powerline clearances in pre-work site assessment, identifying powerline locations and voltages. If uncertainty exists about clearances or voltages, contact the electricity distributor for confirmation before proceeding. Your SWMS must identify powerline hazards specifically and detail controls preventing approach within clearance distances. Electrical incidents involving powerlines have extremely high fatality rates - conservative approach distances are essential.

If you identify fragile roof materials including plastic skylights, deteriorated sheeting, or areas showing signs of weakness during roof work, immediately cease work in the affected area and do not step on or approach identified fragile sections. Mark fragile areas using highly visible barriers, tape, or paint preventing inadvertent stepping by yourself or other workers. Fragile materials can include plastic skylights and roof lights that may appear intact but cannot support worker weight, corrugated asbestos cement or fibreglass sheeting that has become brittle through weathering and UV exposure, deteriorated metal sheeting with severe corrosion, timber sections with rot or termite damage, and roof sections over unframed areas without structural support. Assess whether planned work can be completed whilst avoiding fragile areas - if work requires accessing areas with fragile materials, implement additional controls including installing roof ladders that distribute load across roof surface rather than point loading fragile materials, or installing working platforms spanning between structural supports eliminating need to step on fragile sections. For extensive fragile roof areas, consider whether edge protection installation from mobile elevated work platforms or scaffold platforms eliminates need for workers to access fragile roof surfaces. If fragile materials create significant fall hazards that cannot be adequately controlled, consider whether roof replacement is more appropriate than continuing to work on deteriorated dangerous surfaces. Document discovery of fragile materials and implemented controls in site diary and SWMS variations. Brief all workers about fragile material locations and prohibition on accessing those areas. Never assume roof materials can support weight based on appearance - even materials that look intact may fracture without warning under worker weight, causing falls through roofs that result in fatal injuries.