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Lifting equipment onto roofs

Guidance on how to safely lift equipment onto roofs to prevent injuries.

Issues and risks

Manually lifting equipment, such as air conditioners and extractor fans, to be mounted on a roof can be dangerous.

Employees can be injured in the following ways.

  • Overbalancing and falling off the roof or ladder.
  • Being struck by falling objects.
  • Incorrectly lifting or handling loads that are unstable, unbalanced or hard to hold/grasp can result in a musculoskeletal disorder.

Other persons nearby can also be struck by falling objects.

A worker lifting equipment onto the roof above his head to 2 other workers on the roof.
Don't manually lift heavy or awkward equipment onto the roof.

Solution

The risk of injury can be eliminated or reduced by using mechanical aids to help lift equipment onto roofs. Mechanical aids can include:

  • ladder hoists
  • portable lifting devices, such as a scissor lift
  • mobile cranes.

The work area should be barricaded to stop people from accessing the area.

Mechanical aids need to be installed, used and maintained in line with the manufacturer’s or supplier’s instructions.

Employees must be provided with necessary training and supervision when using mechanical aids. If a licence is required, only licensed employees may use that equipment.

A worker using a scissor lift to transport equipment to 2 waiting workers on the roof. Bollards and tape around the scissor lift mark the exclusion zone.
Use a scissor lift to transport equipment safely onto the roof.
A worker stands at the bottom of a portable lift. Equipment is going up to 2 waiting workers on the roof. Bollards and tape around the scissor lift mark the exclusion zone.
Use a portable lift to transport equipment safely onto the roof.

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Related information

Compliance code: Prevention of falls in general construction  

Construction  

Fall prevention  

Plant, machinery and equipment  

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