SolidBowtie

Fall from height — roof works

Work on flat roofs with fragile sections: edges, skylights, ladders and weather — arrested by harnesses, nets and rescue.

HazardWorking at height on a flat roof with fragile sections
Top eventPerson falls from height

5 threats 17 barriers 3 consequences safety-critical barriers marked

Use this template free. Copy “Fall from height — roof works” into your own workspace and adapt every barrier — no credit card.

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Threats & preventive barriers

Each threat is a credible pathway to the top event; its barriers interrupt that pathway before control is lost.

Unprotected leading edge

  • Guardrails & toe boards ★ critical

    Passive (hardware) · 90% effective · Owner: Site Supervisor

  • Permit to work

    Socio-technical · 80% effective · Owner: Works Manager

    Permit not reviewed before start

Fragile roof light / surface

  • Fragile-surface covers & signage

    Passive (hardware) · 75% effective · Owner: Site Supervisor

  • Crawling boards / walkways

    Passive (hardware) · 75% effective · Owner: Site Supervisor

Ladder slip or failure

  • Ladder inspection & tagging

    Behavioural (human) · 75% effective · Owner: Site Supervisor

    📅 Pre-use ladder inspection · weekly keep-alive task

  • Three-points-of-contact rule

    Behavioural (human) · 70% effective · Owner: Worker

Adverse weather (high wind)

  • Weather limits & stop-work trigger

    Socio-technical · 80% effective · Owner: Works Manager

  • Wind-speed monitoring

    Continuous · 70% effective · Owner: Site Supervisor

MEWP tip-over

  • Ground assessment & outriggers

    Socio-technical · 85% effective · Owner: Plant Operator

  • MEWP operator certification

    Behavioural (human) · 80% effective · Owner: Training Coordinator

Consequences & recovery barriers

Once the top event happens, recovery barriers limit each consequence.

Fatality

  • Personal fall-arrest harness ★ critical

    Behavioural (human) · 80% effective · Owner: Worker

    📅 Harness inspection · monthly keep-alive task

  • Certified anchor points

    Passive (hardware) · 85% effective · Owner: Structural Engineer

  • Rescue plan & first aid ★ critical

    Behavioural (human) · 70% effective · Owner: Site Supervisor

    📅 Rescue drill · semiannual keep-alive task

Serious injury

  • Fall-arrest netting

    Passive (hardware) · 85% effective · Owner: Scaffold Contractor

  • Soft-landing airbags

    Passive (hardware) · 70% effective · Owner: Scaffold Contractor

Struck-by dropped object

  • Tool tethering

    Behavioural (human) · 70% effective · Owner: Worker

  • Exclusion zone below

    Socio-technical · 80% effective · Owner: Site Supervisor

Copying this template gives you a fully editable bowtie: barrier owners arrive as role suggestions, escalation factors sit on their barriers, and keep-alive activities are scheduled from the moment you copy. New to the notation? Read what the bowtie method is or browse the practical guides.

Use this template free. Copy “Fall from height — roof works” into your own workspace and adapt every barrier — no credit card.

Start free with this template →