By Terry Creed, Technical Sales Consultant, Safesite Ltd
We’ve written in the past about the importance of competency, especially when it comes to fall protection equipment. I spend a lot of time on roofs and unfortunately come across some shocking work which illustrates what happens when price is chosen over competency.
The following are the latest batch of horrors I’ve seen when out and about on site.


This system is installed so poorly it’s quite unbelievable that someone could leave it that way! The guardrail is too low, weights and feet are in the wrong position, extremely unstable, grub screws loose or missing, uneven…I could go on…..


Poor guardrail installation – no mid rail, a fitting is missing completely and the hot vent flue has damaged the rail. And when you look at the installation from the other side, it gets worse. The photograph below shows that single fixing has been used into the masonry.

This is definitely not something we would recommend as the fixings can work loose over time.


How NOT to install edge protection around roof access hatches.


The saddle clamps on this system are actually fitted upside down!

And finally, if your guardrail needs repairing, please make sure the person carrying out the repair knows what they’re doing. Otherwise this could happen!