Skylight Guardrail (RoofGuard)
A Skylight Guardrail system is designed to provide fall protection for skylights and make sure it is in compliance with working at heights laws in your province or state. Any opening in your roof that someone could fall through is required by law to have fall protection. Safety regulations consider rooftop skylights to be a hole in the roof surface. More often than not if a skylight is accidentally stepped on or fallen into it can break and cause a fall from a fatal height. This is why many safety regulations mandate that if a skylight is in the vicinity of a working area or walking surface, they must be protected with the appropriate fall prevention equipment. It is recommended by the Ministry of Labour in Ontario to move forward with the assumption that non-structural covers (such as skylights) cannot support a worker unless you can provide engineering documentation confirming that they are able to support the weight of a worker who may fall or stumble on it.
What is RoofGuard Skylight Guardrail?
The freestanding, modular design of RoofGuard allows for this system to be integrated with virtually all skylights. Designed to fit on a single pallet, most parts are pre-assembled with easy-to-follow instructions and a single tool for installation. RoofGuard Skylight Guardrail systems are constructed with corrosion-resistant lightweight aluminum tubing and utilizes counter-weighted baseplates. It requires no rooftop penetration, which will help to make sure that your roof will remain intact, so you will not have to worry about any unexpected leaks occurring from using this system.
Designed specifically to address fall protection concerns without minimizing light from your skylights, this rooftop guardrail system allows for the optimum use of your skylight.
RoofGuard Skylight has been designed to meet or exceed all major North American safety standards/regulations for hatches, including Ontario MOL requirements, ANSI, OSHA, Canadian OHS & WorkSafeBC.
4 foot by 4 foot Kit | Skylight Guardrail
RoofGuard Skylight comes in a unique kit format which is designed to protect from falls through skylights without minimizing light coming through your skylight. With 4′ x 4′ of aluminum handrail tube constructed into a freestanding structure, you will be able to keep both employees and contractors safe when they enter and exit your rooftop.
4 Foot by 6 Foot Kit | Skylight Guardrail
Some skylights are rectangular or irregular in design and require a larger area of coverage. Whether they are larger than the average skylight or because they are unique in design; we offer the option for 4′ x 6′ RoofGuard Skylight kits to fit oblong or irregular shapes.
6 Foot by 6 Foot Kit | Skylight Guardrail
Large skylights or clusters of skylights can benefit from RoofGuard Skylight kits that cover a larger area for protection. Liftsafe Fall Protection offers a 6′ by 6′ kit that covers 36 square feet of rooftop area and brings full working at heights compliance to these areas of your rooftop.
9 Foot by 9 Foot Kit | Skylight Guardrail
9 foot by 9 foot skylight guardrail kits cover 81 square feet of your rooftop and can be used to protect large skylights, clusters of multiple skylights or even block off certain areas of your rooftop for added safety.
Skylight Guardrail Specifications
| Kit Size | Part Number | Height | Coverage | Diameter of Rail | Unit Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4' by 4' | RGC-KIT-SKY44 | 42" from the ground to the top of the top rail | 16 square feet of coverage | 1.9" OD Aluminum Pipe | 450 lbs. |
| 4' by 6' | RGC-KIT-SKY46 | 42" from the ground to the top of the top rail | 24 square feet of coverage | 1.9" OD Aluminum Pipe | 500 lbs. |
| 6' by 6' | RGC-KIT-SKY66 | 42" from the ground to the top of the top rail | 36 square feet of coverage | 1.9" OD Aluminum Pipe | 550 lbs. |
| 9' by 9' | RGC-KIT-SKY99 | 42" from the ground to the top of the top rail | 81 square feet of coverage | 1.9" OD Aluminum Pipe | 600 lbs. |
Fall Protection Regulations in Canada
| Jurisdiction | Regulation |
|---|---|
| Federal (Canada) | Canada Occupational Safety and Health Regulations, SOR/86-304, Sections 12.01 to 12.09 |
| Ontario |
|
| Quebec |
|
| Alberta | Occupational Health and Safety Code, 2009 Part 9, Fall Protection Sections 138 - 161 |
| British Columbia | Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, B.C. Reg. 296/97 Part 11, Fall Protection, Sections 11.1 to 11.10 |
| Manitoba | Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, Man. Reg. 217/2006 Part 14, Fall Protection, Sections 14.1 to 14.23 |
| New Brunswick | General Regulation -N.B. Reg. 91-191 Part VII, Protective Equipment, Sections 49 - 51 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012, N.L.R. 5/12 Part X, Fall Protection, Sections 138 to 146 |
| Nova Scotia | Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, N.S. Reg. 52/2013 Part 21, Fall Protection, Sections 21.1 to 21.4 |
| Prince Edward Island | Fall Protection Regulations, EC2004-633 |
| Saskatchewan | Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996, R.R.S., C. O-1.1, R. 1 Sections 102 to 107, and Sections 116 to 116.3 |
| Northwest Territories |
|
| Nunavut | General Safety Regulations, R.R.N.W.T. 1990, c. S-1, Part 7 Sections 104 to 109, and Part 9, Sections 118 to 122 |
| Yukon |
|
Resources
Roof Access Ladder Legislation in Canada
An article that breaks down the legislation regarding roof access ladders.
Working at Heights Legislation in Canada
An article that breaks down the existing legislation and different solutions offered.
RoofGuard Skylight Kits for Toronto Office Building
Skylight Guardrail and other RoofGuard kits for an Office Building in Toronto, Ontario.
Your Perfect Solution Awaits!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is RoofGuard Skylight required by law?
- According to the law:
- Safety net
- Travel Restraint system
- Fall Arrest System
- Fall Restricting System
A worker shall be adequately protected by a guardrail system. Requirements for guardrails are found in the regulation for construction projects (s.26.1). The regulation for industrial establishment (ss. 13 and 14) contains provisions for permanent guardrails. The regulation for construction projects provides that if it is not reasonably possible to install guardrails, a worker must be adequately protected by at least one of the following methods of fall protection:
At what height is Fall Protection required?
- Acccording to the law:
- Other means of fall protection are not available or possible, such as guardrails Working at a height of 3 metres or more (permanent and/or temporary work areas)
- Working at a height of less than 3 metres when the surface below could cause a greater injury risk than just the fall (e.g. machinery; risk of drowning in water or other liquid; open tanks, vats, or pits containing hazardous materials; materials can shift)
- A worker may fall through an opening in the work surface
- It is determined that fall protection is necessary
Occupational health and safety laws generally require action when a worker has the potential to fall about 3 metres (10 feet). In most cases, fall protection is required when:
Does RoofGuard Skylight Comply with Canadian and American Regulations?
RoofGuard Skylight has been tested to meet or exceed American (OSHA), Canadian (CCOHS) and Provincial (OHSA in Ontario and each equivalent in other provinces) safety regulations.
RoofGuard Skylight has also been tested to meet or exceed the engineering standards created by CSA and ANSI.
What is the difference between active and passive fall protection?
- Passive fall protection is the type of protection that does NOT require any action by people. Examples include: Guardrails, Safety Nets, etc.
- Active fall protection is the type of protection that requires training and direct connection to an engineered fall protection system or anchor point. Examples include: Body Harnesses and Lanyards, Anchor Points, etc.
- General rule: Passive solutions are preferred to active ones. They represent engineering controls that keep people safe regardless of training level and awareness of a hazard.
Are guardrails more expensive than Horizontal Lifeline systems?
Upfront costs of a guardrail system are slightly more than horizontal lifelines. However, when you add in the cost of certifying employees for working at heights (every three years), anchor point inspections (yearly), lanyard and harness inspections (yearly), recordkeeping (ongoing) and other related inspections, the overall cost of an installed guardrail system is much less.
There is also the amount of time and resources that must be devoted to making sure these are all adhered to. Whereas, a guardrail system can be set up once and you are instantly compliant.
Is RoofGuard Skylight easy to install?
RoofGuard Skylight is incredibly simple to install and can be done easily by an inexperienced worker with simple hand tools.
Each system has labels that contain a QR code that links to a series of videos showing exactly how to install the system for maximum time savings.
My skylight is large, will RoofGuard Skylight cover it??
RoofGuard Skylight is a modular system and can be configured to scale to any size. The only difference with a skylight larger than 27 feet on one side would require tie-back sections to meet the mandated lateral force requirements.
Is RoofGuard Skylight Certified by an Engineer?
Each RoofGuard Skylight system comes with a stamped engineering drawing back by the in-house engineering team at Liftsafe Fall Protection.
Can RoofGuard Skylight be painted?
Can RoofGuard Skylight be used as an anchor?
Can RoofGuard Skylight be installed on a metal roof?
Truck Netting Systems
Fall protection systems developed for safe loading and unloading of flatbed trucks.
Integrated RoofWalk and RoofGuard System Case Study
Combining RoofWalk and RoofGuard Classic on a sloped steel roof.
Become a
RoofGuard Dealer
Custom rooftop solutions backed by our in-house team of Professional Engineers. Offer your clients a simple to install fall protection solution that requires no extra training or equipment.
Fall Protection Guide
Check to see what federal & provincial regulations for working at heights and fall protection are and which RoofGuard systems help you comply.
Customer Service
Resources
Learn from the experts about safety topics related to working at heights, warehouse safety and ladder safety. Browse our resource library.
Liftsafe Fall Protection
Catalogue
Details about all of our RoofGuard systems can be found in our Liftsafe Fall Protection Catalogue along with safety statistics and other info.
Liftsafe Fall Protection
Supplier of Working at Heights Protection, Aviation Access Products, Netting Safety Systems and Engineering Services across Canada.
About Liftsafe
We focus on creating turnkey solutions that allow your employees to do their jobs safely while protecting your company.