The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) has launched a new campaign aimed at reducing the risk of fires when using gas torches on roofs.
The Safe2Torch campaign includes a new guide spearheaded by flat roof manufacturer Bauder in partnership with other contractor and manufacturer members of the NFRC.
The campaign will directly affect at least 50% of all the flat roofs installed in the UK, where gas torches are used to either dry roofs or to install torch-on membranes.
It is hoped that companies across the roofing industry will sign up to support the programme. Since the official launch at the beginning of July, more than 150 have come on board and it is hoped this will continue to grow.
The Safe2Torch campaign is designed to support specification writers to comply with the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015, and ties in with the HSE’s Helping Great Britain Work Well strategy, which promotes a safer and healthier working environment.
The CDM regulations state that: “The person who selects products for use in construction is a designer and must take account of health and safety issues arising from their use. If a product is purpose-built, the person who prepares the specification is a designer and so are manufacturers, if they develop a detailed design.”
This highlights how everyone in the project delivery team has a responsibility to fully consider hazardous details and deliver acceptable construction solutions.
In alignment with the NFRC and the CDM Regulations, Bauder has designed a secure flame-free bitumen membrane detailing solution for specification where roof details are constructed with, or in the vicinity of, combustible construction materials such as timber substrates or upstands, abutments to cladding, thatch, roof tiles or slates that could be at risk from ignition.
“This approach is one the whole industry will be embracing and we are delighted to be the first to support this initiative,” said Bauder technical director Nigel Blacklock.
“Our roof survey reports and specifications will clearly identify the torch-free zones on individual schematic roof plans with boundary lines that our approved contractor can refer to for the correct combination of membranes to deliver the torch-free requirements when submitting a tender document.
“Our torch-free information will combine with the assessments completed by others in the project team in an alignment of responsibilities to identify and communicate potential risks.”
The new guidance includes an illustrated document which is free to download and includes an updated safe specification checklist. This will form the basis of an electronic surveying app, which the NFRC will be launching.
Users will be able to upload photos and notes via a smart phone or tablet, with a webcast setting out the main points of Safe2Torch for those conducting the surveys as well as tips on how to use the surveying app.
Image: Dmitry Kalinovsky/Dreamstime
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