Skylight Roof Safety Mesh Is Not Enough – Find Out Why
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Why do you need skylight protection if there is already skylight (roofing) safety mesh installed?
Insufficient skylight protection is one of the leading causes of injury or death as a result of falls from height in Australia, and is a hazard that is often overlooked. Relying on skylight mesh alone is a high-risk solution, and learning the consequences is imperative for installers and building owners alike.
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What is skylight (roofing) safety mesh?
Skylight (roofing) safety mesh is a thin wire mesh material, installed underneath skylights and roof sheeting during the construction phase, to ensure the safety of workers installing roof sheets, plant equipment and other items on the roof of a building.
What are Skylight Protectors?
Kattsafe’s skylight protectors are strong sheets of aluminium, tested to Australian Standards and are designed to save personnel from falling through skylights, lights and brittle roof areas.
Technically, both skylight mesh and skylight protectors are designed to serve the same purpose. The difference lies in the ongoing certification/inspection maintenance, strength, and compliance of each system.
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As mentioned before, skylight (roofing) safety mesh is installed during the construction phase. So, as time goes on, this system becomes a less sufficient solution to protect personnel from falling through skylights.
This is because of multiple reasons.
Wrong installation
If installation has been done incorrectly, there is no way of checking this once the roofing sheeting and skylights have been installed above it, leaving the system vulnerable to failure.
Corrosion
The industry standard skylight mesh has a very minimal anti-corrosion coating (35gsm zinc coating) which combined with temperature fluctuations and condensation leave it highly susceptible to corrosion. Corroded skylight mesh is very weak and has a high risk of not stopping a fall.
No maintenance requirements
There are no regulatory requirements for roof safety mesh to be inspected by a competent person either during or post installation. So, any wrong installation methods, corrosion or other issues that weaken the system will not be picked up at all.
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Kattsafe skylight (roofing) safety mesh protection is a great way to ensure personnel safety on a roof, due to its strong aluminium build and outstanding corrosion resistance. Inspection is done annually on skylight protectors, ensuring any issues in the strength of the installation will be picked up.
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