The installation of rooftop walkways is an often-overlooked step when completing a roofing project. However, rooftop walkways are important additions to commercial roofs in order to keep people safe.
At the same time, these walkways prevent damage to the roof itself. In this article, you’ll learn more about the importance of rooftop walkways in Houston, TX.
Damage Prevention
Adding a walkway to your roof can actually save you a lot of money in repair costs. Contractors and employees will stay on the walkways without potentially damaging your roof. When you think about how much money your company spent on building the roof, it certainly makes sense to protect your roofing investment with a rooftop walkway.
Safety Precaution
When you have to send someone up on the roof, there is always danger involved with doing so. For example, the roof could be wet and slippery after a rainstorm, making it more likely that someone can slip and fall off. Even on perfectly sunny days, it only takes one misstep to send someone flying off the roof. The installation of rooftop walkways is an important safety precaution your employees and contractors will thank you for.
Predetermined Walkways
When you add walkways to the roof, you determine ahead of time where people need to go. Walkways on your roof are designed in a way that allows you to access every location on your roof that needs to be inspected, maintained, or repaired. And while the walkways may require someone to take the long way around, it’s the safest way to work on your roof.
OSHA Requirements
As an employer, you have the responsibility to keep your workers safe from harm. Installing a properly marked non-skid walkway with railings on your roof will satisfy even the most stringent OSHA requirements. You’ll still want to educate your employees on how to stay safe on your roof, but the walkway will make the biggest difference for your workforce. It’s important to talk to your roofing contractor to make sure they follow current OSHA regulations. Otherwise, you could end up sending even more money later on upgrading the system you have
Walkway Characteristics
When you start looking into rooftop Metalwalk® installation, you’ll find that every walkway has different characteristics. Not all of them have all of the features you might want. Here is a list of the kind of features OSHA might require from your rooftop walkway system:
- Non-skid surface
- Handrails on one or both sides
- Toe boards to keep users safe
- Custom-painted railing
- Solid surface to walk the roof
