Roof eave safety device

Abstract: A safety device (120) for a roof eave comprising two longitudinal web members held apart from each other by spacing means to form a longitudinal channel through which air may circulate to ventilate the roof area. The outer faces (126) of each web member are adapted to receive a soffit board (127) or the like, and the safety device is provided with means (124, 128) for attachment to a rafter. The safety device is further provided with a safety track (2, 12) for a slidable traveller (4) with attachment means (5) for a safety harness. The safety track may be in the form of a recess (123) formed within the channel by projections on the inner face of each web, the traveller sliding within the recess. Alternatively the safety track may be in the form of an external bulb channel (130) around which the traveller may slide.

Description: This invention relates to a safety device for ensuring the safety of any person requiring access to an area on or near a building roof, whether during construction, maintenance works, inspection, or cleaning. In the past operative access to roof areas has been a major source of danger during inspection and maintenance procedures on sloping roofs leading to falls from roofs and buildings. Such accidents are a major source of injury and fatalities in the building industry. Currently, for major works, the normal arrangement is the provision of a scaffolding system erected on the building face, the scaffolding being solidly lined and fitted with hand rails at the roof edge. The economics of small tasks and inspections does not permit this method to be adopted. Also, gaps within hand rails or scaffolding permit operators to fall over or through a roof or balcony edge. Fixed vertical ladders which provide access to roof and roof mounted equipment, for example extract fans, are often fitted with hoops to provide some protection in the event of slipping; however, the gaps are so large that it is possible to fall through such hoops and to sustain injury. Elevating platforms and wall maintenance cradles are also known and are subject to occasional mechanical failure. If a sudden tilt of a platform or cradle occurs, the operatives risk being thrown out of the cradle or platform. Currently designers sometimes specify eye bolts at intervals across a roof and trade practice generally uses roof ladders in the form of traditional ladders with hooks that pass over the ridge on to the opposing incline. This has the disadvantage that there is no means of safely transferring from one eye bolt to another without first unhooking the harness. Prior art has addressed the problem of safety when working in a position vertically removed from the ground. GB1571385 discloses a rail tether system for use on a sloping surface in this case a large sewerage tank wherein a traveller, to which a harness is attached, travels within a rail attached to the top of the tank. GB1478595 and US 3860089 both disclose slotted hollow rails built into balconies to prevent window cleaners from falling. These systems require a separate rail component to be attached to a building. Known from the prior art, e.g. GB-A-2140841, are roof eave ventilation devices. These devices comprise two spaced apart longitudinal members with a longitudinal opening between the members through which air can circulate. They are designed to be connected to eave soffit boards so that air can circulate into the roof space behind the eave soffit boards. The opening may be covered with a mesh to prevent insects reaching the roof space. It is an object of the present invention to provide a safety device incorporated in a building component enabling high safety standards to be maintained whilst providing access to the top of a building. According to the present invention there is provided a safety device for a roof eave comprising two longitudinal web members held apart from each other by spacing means to form a longitudinal channel therebetween, said spacing means being provided with passages to allow air to circulate through said spacing means, the outer faces of each web member being adapted to receive a soffit board or the like, the safety device being provided with means for attachment to a rafter, a safety track for a slidable traveller being fitted within the channel of the safety device. In a first embodiment the inner face of each web member has a projecting portion remote from said spacing mean and the projecting portions are aligned to form a recess within the channel, the recess forming the safety track. In a second embodiment the safety track is formed by a longitudinal bulb section projecting from the channel and spaced from the web members. In a preferred embodiment the traveller is slidably attachable to said track and a safety harness attachment means is secured to said traveller. The channel or bulb section may extend along the entire length of said safety device such that a plurality of safety devices may be placed together in use to provide a continuous track along which a slidable traveller may move. The spacing means preferably comprises a plurality of bridging members which interconnect said two web members, said air circulation passages comprising the spaces between adjacent bridging members. A mesh may extend across the passages to provide a barrier for insects. In a preferred embodiment the track is in the form of a housing having a continuous longitudinal opening, and the traveller is longitudinally slidable within said housing and has an arm extending through said opening forming said attachment means, the remainder of the traveller being trapped within the housing. The housing may have a sleeve lining at an end portion of the track to prevent unintentional movement of the traveller when it is in this portion of the track. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Fig. 1a is an end view of a traveller for use with an internal channel in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 1b is a section through the traveller of Fig. 1a; Fig. 1c is a top view of the traveller of Fig. 1a; Fig. 1d is a side view of a second traveller in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a traveller for use with an external channel in accordance with the present invention; and Figs. 3a and 3b show under eaves slots in accordance with the present invention. Referring to the drawings, a safety device 1 shown schematically in Fig. 1a has a track in the form of an internal channel integral to a building component and a traveller 4 which is slidable along the channel 2. The traveller 4 has attachment means 5 for attachment to a safety harness. The internal channel 2 has a longitudinal opening at the top of the ridge through which the traveller attachment means 5 passes enabling the traveller 4 to be pulled freely along the inside of the channel 2. The safety device 11 shown schematically in Fig. 2 has a track in the form of an external bulb channel 12 integral to a building component and a traveller 14 which is slidable along the channel 12. The traveller 14 has attachment means 15 for attachment to a safety harness. The building component is in the form of a roof eave ventilation device 120. Travellers 4 suitable for travelling within an internal channel 2 in a roof eave ventilation device are illustrated in Figs. 1a to 1d. The traveller 4 has two wheels 25 disposed laterally to the axis 26 of the attachment means 5 of the traveller 4. The wheels 25 are slightly tapered to enable ease of running within the channel 2. The wheels 25 are made of a nylon material and have a teflon washer 28 to provide a smooth running of the wheels 25. Fig. 1d shows a traveller 4 which is for use where changes in direction and/or inclination are required. The building component having a channel 2 for a safety device is in the form of an undereaves ventilation soffit 120 which may include an insect mesh 121. Where the channel is an internal channel 123, a "V" shaped safety track is bolted 124 to cleats 128 each side of a rafter 125 and has a projecting edge 126 to receive a soffit board lining 127. The cleats 128 are disposed each side of a rafter 125 and through bolted. In the arrangement where the channel 12 is an external bulb channel 130, the safety track is again bolted 131 to cleats 137 each side of a rafter 133 and has a projecting edge 134 to receive a soffit board lining 135. Ventilation 136 is provided either through the internal channel 123 or around the external channel 130. The two arrangements are illustrated in Figs. 3a and 3b. In use the roof eave components have an internal or external channel 2, 12 along which a traveller 4, 14 may run. A person requiring access to an area below a roof eave can secure his safety harness to the attachment means 5, 15 of the traveller 4, 14. The person can then move freely along the building and the harness will pull the traveller 4, 14 along the channel. The traveller and channel are designed to support loads sufficient to support a falling person. Modifications and improvements can be incorporated without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims: A safety device (120) for a roof eave comprising two longitudinal web members held apart from each other by spacing means to form a longitudinal channel therebetween, said spacing means being provided with passages (136) to allow air to circulate through said spacing means, the outer faces (126) of each web member being adapted to receive a soffit board (127) or the like, the safety device being provided with means (124, 128) for attachment to a rafter, characterised in that the inner face of each web member has a projecting portion remote from said spacing means, said projecting portions being aligned to form a recess (123) within said channel, said recess forming a safety track (2) for a slidable traveller (4). A safety device (120) for a roof eave comprising two longitudinal web members held apart from each other by spacing means to form a longitudinal channel therebetween, said spacing means being provided with passages (136) to allow air to circulate through said spacing means, the outer faces (134) of each web member being adapted to receive a soffit board (135) or the like, the safety device being provided with means (131, 137) for attachment to a rafter, characterised in that said safety device further comprises a longitudinal bulb section (130) projecting from said channel and spaced from said web members, said bulb section forming a safety track (12) for a slidable traveller (14). A safety device as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, further comprising a traveller (4, 14) slidably attachable to said track (2, 12) and a safety harness attachment means (5, 15) secured to said traveller (4, 14). A safety device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein said channel (123) or said bulb section (130) extends along the entire length of said safety device such that a plurality of safety devices may be placed together in use to provide a continuous track (2, 12) along which a slidable traveller may move. A safety device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said spacing means comprises a plurality of bridging members which interconnect said two web members, said air circulation passages (136) comprising the spaces between adjacent bridging members. A safety device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein a mesh (121) extends across said passages (136) to provide a barrier for insects. A safety device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said track is in the form of a housing (2) having a continuous longitudinal opening, said traveller (4) being longitudinally slidable within said housing (2) and having an arm (5) extending through said opening forming said attachment means, the remainder of the traveller (4) being trapped within the housing (2). A safety device as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the housing has a sleeve lining at an end portion of the track (2) to prevent unintentional movement of the traveller (4) when it is in this portion of the track.

Inventors: GLEAVE DAVID S, GLEAVE, DAVID S.
Applicants: GLEAVE DAVID S, GLEAVE, DAVID S.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: E04G21
IPC codes: E04D3, E04D13, A62B35, E04D1, E04B7, E04G21, A62B1