External Roof Safety Accessories to Maintain Social Distancing
Changing the way businesses operate in a post COVID-19 world is essential to keeping everyone safe and healthy. As companies adjust to new business practices, CentiMark is here and committed to providing external rooftop safety accessories for your commercial properties to help keep people outside of your building and maintain safe social distancing.
Fixed Ladders
The installation of external fixed ladder systems on your commercial building provides a variety of benefits to your business. Fixed ladders provide a designated access point for people to get up on your roof without ever having to enter your building. Not only does this help maintain social distancing practices, but it is a safer long-term solution with minimal interruption to your regular business operations.
External roof access can be a cost-effective solution. You don’t need a roof hatch on your roof and you won’t need to take up internal floor space. External fixed ladders are also OSHA compliant and can be configured to suit site-specific requirements.
Ladder Security Door
A ladder security door can be installed at the base of your external fixed ladder to prevent unauthorized access to your roof. These security doors can be locked to mitigate the risk of unauthorized people accessing the roof. This is a great way to help ensure the safety and security of your building.
Fall Arrest Systems
Building owners who have fixed ladders without any form of fall protection, such as cages or fall arrest systems, will be non-compliant and in violation of OSHA regulations. By November 19, 2036, all fixed ladders 24 ft or taller (20 ft or taller in California) will require a personal fall arrest system. A personal fall arrest system is a cable trolley or similar system and a personal harness system with a lanyard. At CentiMark, we can assist you with becoming OSHA compliant by installing a fall arrest system on your fixed ladders to help keep your personnel protected from falls and as safe as possible.
Walkway Systems
Roof walkway systems help direct traffic on your roof in a safe and effective way. These systems allow for personnel to walk your roof without causing any damage to your roof or rooftop projections while also keeping personnel as safe as possible by keeping them away from hazards. They are slip resistant, customizable and can be quickly installed to provide minimal disruption to your business operations.
Guardrails
Guardrail systems provide safety for maintenance personnel while working on rooftops. These systems provide fall protection around the roof perimeter, protection around rooftop equipment and machinery, and protect against other unprotected fall edges.
As you begin making adjustments for the safety and security of others in this new environment, let us help. We can install these accessories to help you gain a peace of mind knowing that when someone needs access to your roof, you have all of the proper safety equipment in place and are ready to go.
Roof Safety in Inclement Weather
Make sure your roof is always as safe as possible, especially during the summer storm season. We’re breaking down roofing safety measures to take before, during and after inclement weather.
Before the Storm Hits
Be able to verify your roof's pre-storm condition to help your adjuster. Having a roof condition report prior to any storm damage can help you navigate the insurance process. This report will be accessible to you 24/7 on MyCentiMark.com. The report will help your adjuster process your insurance claim in an expeditious manner.
Scheduling an inspection of your roof can also help you fully understand the condition of your roof and make any essential repairs before the storm hits. In addition to any needed repairs, it is important that all rooftop items are inspected and documented. A sampling of these items include:
- Edge Details - Is your metal edge secured properly? We will review your metal edge to determine whether fasteners or caulking are needed to prevent damage from wind uplift.
- Roof System - Do you know how your roof is attached? Examining the condition of the roof attachment method be it mechanically attached, ballasted, mopped in place, fully adhered, etc is critical.
- Skylights - Are they properly secured and protected? We will make sure your skylights are made of material that can withstand high winds and hail.
- Drainage - We will make sure all your drains, gutters and downspouts are free and clear from all debris.
- Rooftop Projections - Are they all properly secured? If your facility is in an area particularly susceptible to high winds or hail, ensure that hurricane straps and other protective measures are in place.
- Potential Projectiles - Do you have any potential projectiles on your roof suchs as sleepers, nail blocks or unsecured walk pads? It is vital to make sure that these are all properly secured to avoid unnecessary damage and potential hazards to your customers and employees.
After the inspection, we will provide you with a written report, photos and suggested storm season repair recommendations. We will work with you to develop the best plan of action for your roof prior to any storm and assist you with any emergency repairs should a storm hit.
During Harsh Weather
If you’re completing a roofing project during a summer storm, make sure the roofing crew performs nightly tie-ins to keep your building watertight. Additionally, make sure you have our emergency service number on hand should any leaks or damage occur during the storm. Emergency service number - 855-483-1975
After You’ve Weathered the Storm
Call us to schedule a post-storm inspection to assess the condition of your roof and see if any repairs or maintenance are needed to get your roof back to being watertight. We will be out to assess any damage and provide a thorough inspection on the condition of your roof post-storm. This will not only help you with repair or replacement decisions based on damage to your roof, but it will help you with your insurance company. Plus, don’t forget that we can work with your insurance company on any claims as well.
Common Hazards on Commercial Floors and What to do About Them
Don’t let the floors in your facility become neglected. Slips, trips and falls are some of the most common workplace injuries and can be avoided with proper care and maintenance of your commercial floors.
In fact, same-level slips, trips and falls have cost employers billions of dollars in worker’s compensation costs. Areas of spalling, cracks, holes or damaged joints on your floors can be hazardous to your customers and employees if not properly repaired or patched.
Trips and Falls
Visually checking your floors for areas of concern such as spalling, cracking or damaged joints is crucial to identifying potential hazardous areas for trips and falls. It’s important to identify these hazards to determine needed repairs and useful products for your in-house maintenance staff, such as do-it-yourself patch and repair products. Having the products on hand will help to quickly eliminate any safety hazards that may arise.
Slips
Do you know the coefficient of friction (COF) on your floors? The COF is the ratio between the force necessary to move one surface horizontally over another and the pressure between the two surfaces. Not only is this extremely important for risk management purposes, but having a dynamic coefficient of friction (DCOF) reduces risk for slips and helps to provide you with a slip and skid-resistant surface. A DCOF of greater than 0.42 helps keep your floors multi-functional and safe for customers and employees while also meeting the minimum set by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI). Understanding and documenting the DCOF of your floors can help you maintain a safe work environment.
Safety Striping and Demarcation
Including safety lines and demarcation to your floors is a recommended way to increase the safety of your floors for your employees. This can include adding designated walkways to prevent equipment or forklift injuries, as well as adding directional marking to ensure that traffic flows in the correct direction and equipment designation to keep everyone safe.
Not sure if you have any safety hazards?
A thorough safety inspection can help identify potential safety hazards, helping to prevent any slips, trips or falls. This involves looking for any spalling, cracks, holes or damaged joints from heavy equipment or wear and tear. The inspection includes photos and written documentation as well as recommendations for repairs. Getting these areas repaired will provide a safer environment for employees and customers.
Keep up with the condition of your floors to ensure that your employees and customers are all as safe as possible. Regular patch, repair and maintenance can go a long way in keeping potential hazards in your commercial floors at bay. Get started and lessen the risk of slips, trips and falls on your floors today.
Preventative Maintenance Programs for your Roof and Floors
Preventative maintenance for your roof and floors is vital to extend the overall service life of your investments and helps to keep your employees and customers safe. We’re breaking down the many benefits of enrolling in a preventative maintenance program for your roof and floors.
Maintaining Your Roof and Floor Warranties
If your roof or floors are under warranty, preventative maintenance programs are typically part of the requirements under the terms. A regular preventative maintenance program for your roof not only helps you extend the life of your roof, but it can also extend your warranty for an additional 5 years. For your floors, we provide you with guidelines for daily cleaning and a preventative maintenance program to protect the service life of your investment. Keeping up with preventative maintenance will give you a peace of mind knowing that your warranty is maintained and that we will be there for you to help protect your assets.
Preventative Maintenance for Your Roof
Be proactive instead of reactive. Preventative maintenance takes the guess-work out of taking care of your roof and gives you a peace of mind that smaller repairs will be made so extensive damage is minimized.
A customized preventative maintenance program for your roof includes recommendations such as:
- Debris removal
- Clear drains for proper water flow
- Caulk terminations and pipe seals as needed
- Repair roof surface defects, water-entry points and damage
- Upgrade or add safety accessories to remain OSHA compliant
Based on our recommendations, we will work with you to develop a comprehensive plan to get your roof work completed, keep your building watertight and help extend your roof’s service life. Scheduling repairs early is the best way to keep your roof in excellent condition.
Preventative Maintenance for Your Floors
Proper preventative maintenance for your floors includes the in-house training and providing the materials to maintain them. Keeping your floors clean, stain-free and in great condition will help prolong the life of your investment. This includes regular cleaning of your floors along with making needed patches and repairs to keep the surface of your floors level, smooth and safe. To help with the ongoing maintenance of your floors, we also have a full line of do-it-yourself products available on our online shop at QuestMarkFlooring.com.
With preventative maintenance for your roof and floors, protect your assets, keep your facility safe and maximize your investments simultaneously. Consider preventative maintenance for your roof and floors today.
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