Safety harness advice

[lambchop]

I really don't like using ladders and avoid all height work but taking down a chimney and making good the roof.

got a decent double ladder, with ladder stabiliser, will tie off the top with an eye hook drilled into masonry. Another ladder with a proper roof hook and will most probably tie that to the another eye hook.

I was looking at safety harness kit for approx £70, using some nylon rope and tying off of a roof rafter while taking down chimney and making good. These jobs are very rare for me and will use the harness again for my own roof when I can afford to buy a house.

i will be doing this job so won't pass it on to somebody else, doing a course not an option but any useful advice on equipment technique, if the harness is any good for money etc and general banter would be appreciated

 

[lambchop]

Harness in toolstation,

 

[Rickster123]

Why didn't you just go for a scaffold? Or mini tower?

 

[Ermintrude]

I would say crows nest and access tower is a must if it's more than 10 bricks otherwise just bomb it down old flue

 

[lambchop]

It's for a mate who's falling on really hard times and not physically able to do it himself, have already got the the equipment apart from harness. I know it's my safety and you can't put a price on that but another piece of equipment that will minimise risk will hopefully be positive. Granted can't beat proper training and there are courses out there for this but and I feel silly for saying it I don't want to spend money on them but will spend it on a harness, hopefully use common sense and any advice would be great and take my time doing it mate

 

[lame plumber]

I use one with the seat belt type extender on it. Served me well till I was working 4 stories up, on a couple of scaffold boards on 2 sack lift beams, went to pull some more strapping out to move across the boards to find a loose chewed end!!!!!!!!!!! My labradour puppy, accompanying me that day had finished his bone and done for my safety strap 🙁 It took me a long time to pucker up and crawl back, open the sash window and get in again, dog didnt seem at all worried!!!!!!!!!! Cost me about £140 to replace it, being a total coward I dont work off ladders without it, or scaffold towers really.

 

[tamz]

If you are going to do this, get a better harness that that rubbish from toolstation.
Remember a fall arrest harness is there to "arrest" ie put the brakes on while you are falling.
You want one with an energy absorber lanyard of some kind' to take the energy out of the fall.
That one would have your balls off.

 

[Ermintrude]

If you fall your fecked. Suspension trauma will ruin your legs after 15 mins and cause toxic shock when released. One bloke was hanging from cherry picker for 45 mins with broken pelvis. Died when they put him on floor. U need a rescue plan or a method for getting down after your fall.

A work positioning harness will make it a lot easier to get down. Plus u can use it to hold u in place. Best thing u can do is sit on ridge and lower gear in a bucket off the roof, or bomb it down old stack. Or even pass it into loft space. U going to need to open up roof to make good any way

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

I really don't like using ladders and avoid all height work but taking down a chimney and making good the roof.

got a decent double ladder, with ladder stabiliser, will tie off the top with an eye hook drilled into masonry. Another ladder with a proper roof hook and will most probably tie that to the another eye hook.

I was looking at safety harness kit for approx £70, using some nylon rope and tying off of a roof rafter while taking down chimney and making good. These jobs are very rare for me and will use the harness again for my own roof when I can afford to buy a house.

i will be doing this job so won't pass it on to somebody else, doing a course not an option but any useful advice on equipment technique, if the harness is any good for money etc and general banter would be appreciated

get a roofer to do it,like we do

 

[lame plumber]

i find if you set up the arrester type properly, ie above you off the chimmney if possible you wont be going far so isnt an issue. the lanyard types are great if you intend to disappear over the edge or off a cherry picker, however sitting in a properly fitted full harness wont cause you a trauma, been using them to swing off ropes for years as a youngster playing silly beggars, only got nervous as I got older and dont heal so quickly.

 

[Ermintrude]

Use a full harness and helmet when it's a big job. 100m plus and your poo warms your legs

 

[gasmanrob]

I am access trained and have a full harness ladder tie kit roof hook the works! I took 2 bricks off of my chimney came back down and got a scaffold up for £160 for 48hours!

the wobble in the roof was enough to put me off it was 2 years to the day yesterday actually as I started the day I got the keys. Any way by the time I was bellow the roof line I was glad I'd opted for scaffold as part of the roof was rotten that ran up the side of the breast. Also the side I'd set up on.

also to add to what everyone is saying about harnes's you need to be carefull how you put them on or you WILL pop a nut in the event of a fall. You shouldn't be able to stand upright and you will look like you are wearing a nappy if you are wearing it properly

 

[lame plumber]

what do you mean look like your wearing a nappy, I have to put one on to go up a step ladder now 🙂