Fall protection system and its mechanism are widely dependent on roof anchor points. The anchor point is nothing but the base that is placed over the roof. By using the anchor as a stronghold, the ropes and fall resistant equipment will be placed. The anchor points serve as one of the most important equipment used during the construction process. From the roof of the building, the external walls of the entire building will be accessed.
Without accessing the walls, the outside works of a building will not be completed, and it will affect the look of the entire building. To complete the external works the worker has to access the walls, and this cannot be done without using the roof anchor points. Roof anchor points are also used for window washing which is one of the most important applications for high rise.
Table of Contents
Significance of Roof Anchor Points:
Roof anchor points are called as a base device or equipment which promotes the fall arrest, fall support, free fall arrest. Roof anchor points can be permanent and also, it can be placed only for a shorter period of time.
1. Permanent Roof Anchor Points:
Permanent roof anchor points are placed by penetrating the building’s roof and the area it gets penetrated will be coated with additional bricks or stones. The reason is that the anchor will be held tightly in the additionally attached brick and also it will not affect the building’s actual roof. When the steel rope or the rope attached to the anchor, it will be held firmly as the base that is attached to the building and it can withstand weight in the higher end. This is the major benefit of the permanent roof anchor point.
2. Temporary Roof Anchor Points:
The temporary roof anchor point is an independent unit which will not be attached with the building or within the roof. This unit can be moved from one place to the other. This will also provide a firm balance to arrest and restrict fall, but it is not that strong as compared to the permanent roof anchors. Usually, temporary anchor points are used in the building that has a lower height. The temporary anchor point cannot withstand even half of the weight that it is capable to hold if it gets placed in the higher building due to the pull it faces.
Temporary anchors are used for a short span of time and work. While the permanent anchors are for long time use for cleaning or maintenance purposes.
The custom made anchor points are also used widely these days. This is a type of permanent anchor point in which the setup can be customized based on the load that we are going to supply. This type of anchors is placed permanently in the buildings, especially where the maintenance is done often. These types of anchors provide adequate support as like any other permanent anchor points and the custom alteration feature is very commendable in terms of application.
Maintaining the Anchor Points:
The roof anchor points are used for the building or structure maintenance and the anchor points should be maintained promptly to prevent any kind of chaos and accidents. The human lives are safe by the firmness and strength of the anchor point. If the anchor point fails, then the free fall can be prevented if the different mode of the static line system is implemented. If not, then the accident cannot be prevented. Timely check-up of the strength of the ropes, tightening the attachment of anchor points in the building, checking the load stability often are the major concerns which should be noted often.
