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Roof trusses and safety

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Troppo

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
We do all our roof framing on with pre-fab roof trusses, real easy!
Still no-one here has come up with a practical fall protection system.
A platform at top of wall height takes forever and is expensive. Harnesses dont work because there is nothing to attatch it to, so we still climb around unprotected, and pay the $1500 fine when caught by W.H.A.S. and even they cant reccomend a safe method!
So how do you guys do it? I need some new ideas for this one!
 
#2 ·
I've yet to find a fast safe way to do roof trusses. But there's two legal ways to do it. One is to build a platform, and as you said it is very time consuming, but is actually the safest way to do it. The other is to use harnesses, yes it can be done, we do it around here all the time. It's not my preferred method, it creates a tripping hazard, but it's fast and legal. You just need to pick a few spots for your anchors, wrap a strap around the top plates, hook up your ropes and get to work. They will get in your way, but after a few houses you'll find ways to work around it.
 
#5 ·
All of our interior non bearing walls dont get built until the roof or above floor has been framed. So what we do for trusses is build a set of "walkers". 2x10 planks, at just below ceiling height running perpendicular to the truss span. And 2x6 ones at about 34" down from the top plate on the walls. Takes 2 or 3 guys about 30-40 minutes to put together.
 
#6 ·
The framing company I used to work for tried using some metal scaffold brackets that hung on to the wall. We did a few houses that way then quit using them, there is too much labor involved in it. The scaffold company will tell you "You can set it up in half hour". But realistically, it will add at least a day of man hours to your truss job. So we ended up switching back to harnesses.

If I wasn't in a hurry, I would build planks to be safe. But if you're framing house after house, you'll probably have to use safety harnesses. It's dangerous walking around roof trusses with a rope, I don't like it, but it's your only way to make money if you want to stay legal.
 
#7 ·
Brutus said:
All of our interior non bearing walls dont get built until the roof or above floor has been framed. So what we do for trusses is build a set of "walkers". 2x10 planks, at just below ceiling height running perpendicular to the truss span. And 2x6 ones at about 34" down from the top plate on the walls. Takes 2 or 3 guys about 30-40 minutes to put together.
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That makes sense, but consider the time spent moving materials up on the second story. Then the extra time involved in framing walls after the roof is on.
 
#8 ·
KennMacMoragh said:
That makes sense, but consider the time spent moving materials up on the second story. Then the extra time involved in framing walls after the roof is on.
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We have to "strap" the ceilings here with 1x4. It's much easier to do this before all the interior walls are built. It isn't cut up, and you have a straight run of it. A normal place takes about an hour to 2 hours to strap the ceiling on 1 floor. I don't see the "extra time involved in framing walls after the roof is on". You either frame them before or after. Takes the same time, no? Maybe I'm missing it, because we always frame them after. Moving materials up there? Boom truck comes, just like any other material order. I'm not saying our way is the best, but it's the best for us. We get paid, the GC is happy with the frame, and we scoot on over to the next job.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
We build our external walls from 8" masonry block then solid fill them with re-bar and concrete because we are in a cyclone area. Mostly single story, so I cant see how you attach a harness to anything.
 
#11 ·
We've set up stepladders with planks along the inside of the exterior walls, perpendicular to the trusses with the top of the plank about 3' below the top plate. It's a little awkward but easy to do and easy to move as needed and it's nice not to have to worry about falling. The 'walking the plate' routine is too much of a high wire act.........
 
#13 ·
We have used safety poles here in the past:whistling It's a pole in every inside and outside corner, it goes up 5 or 6' above the top plate with big steel rings welded to the top for a cable to go through. We run the cable all the way around the perimeter of the building to hook our lanyards to when we are near the edge of the building for blocking and cutting tails and facisha . Oh we use a metal banding like for lumber to secure them with:blink: We use stick to push the trusses in to place so we don't have to walk the top plates:laughing: This pisses off the look at me I'm a hero guys:laughing:
 
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#14 ·
I am not going to suggest to anyone to do it the way I always did, which was nothing...walk the plates. We were busted by WISHA one day and the guy I worked for ATM said "OK....harnesses from now on"

I was OK with that and I tied myself off. As I was walking to the corner, I ran out of length and the harness almost pulled me back to the point of falling backwards, 8' down on my back. I was fortunate to catch myself in time. That was the moment I ripped it off and said never again with a harness. It was more dangerous to wear it than not.
 
#15 ·
I once saw pics of a solution used in the UK consisting of air bags the size of giant hay bales. They simply line all possible fall areas with them. Seems like it would be a deployment nightmare, but whoever posted the pic said they were quite common in his area.

It would definitely be a bonus for neighborhood kids on the weekends. :laughing:
 
#16 ·
I have never seen harnesses used on a residential framing job. I considered purchasing them once for a big house that had all 16/12 pitch trusses. We use ladders and picks where we need to, but wall walking is still necessary in most cases.
 
#17 ·

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#19 ·
Brutus said:
We have to "strap" the ceilings here with 1x4. It's much easier to do this before all the interior walls are built. It isn't cut up, and you have a straight run of it. A normal place takes about an hour to 2 hours to strap the ceiling on 1 floor. I don't see the "extra time involved in framing walls after the roof is on". You either frame them before or after. Takes the same time, no? Maybe I'm missing it, because we always frame them after. Moving materials up there? Boom truck comes, just like any other material order. I'm not saying our way is the best, but it's the best for us. We get paid, the GC is happy with the frame, and we scoot on over to the next job.
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Ahh, yeah if you have to put those 1x4's in, interior walls have to go up after the roof is on anyway. But if you don't have to do those, you can have all your interior walls up half hour after the exterior walls are up. We used to do this house after house.

I like your idea though of setting up planks before the interior walls go in, I never thought of that. I suspect it would still take longer than what I'm accustomed to, but would be a lot safer.
 
#20 ·
KennMacMoragh said:
Ahh, yeah if you have to put those 1x4's in, interior walls have to go up after the roof is on anyway. But if you don't have to do those, you can have all your interior walls up half hour after the exterior walls are up. We used to do this house after house.

I like your idea though of setting up planks before the interior walls go in, I never thought of that. I suspect it would still take longer than what I'm accustomed to, but would be a lot safer.
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Totally safer. Especially for a guy like me. I've had 6 inner ear surgeries and my balance is a little off. 10 inch foundation walls, are fine. Even 2x8 walkers, Im pretty good. But when it gets smaller, I seem to lose balance somewhat. Sucks. Why I am a framer with bad balance? I dunno. I like it better than pushing planks through a thickness planer all day, that's for sure.
 
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