Have you ever wondered, as a solar panel installer, whether you'll make it home safely at the end of the working day? For those who have fallen from a roof, the answer is undoubtedly yes.
Unfortunately, the number of accidents remains high. According to the Netherlands Labour Authority (NLA), around 40 people fell from roofs while installing solar panels over a period of just 18 months. These figures have prompted the NLA to increase its focus on safety within the solar installation industry.
If you or one of your employees falls from a roof, the consequences can be severe. Beyond the personal impact, an accident can result in project delays, increased costs, damage to your company's reputation, and, in the worst case, threaten the future of your business.
So how can you ensure that you and your team return home safely every day?
At Mennens, you'll find everything you need in one place—from expert advice and fall protection equipment to practical training courses. Discover how we can help you create a safer working environment for solar panel installation.
Expert safety advice
Our working-at-height specialists assess your current level of knowledge and that of your employees, and provide expert guidance wherever needed. They can also help you prepare your Risk Inventory and Evaluation (RI&E) and Task Risk Assessment (TRA), ensuring your organisation complies with the requirements of the Netherlands Labour Authority (NLA) while creating a safer working environment.
The essential equipment
Mennens also supplies the equipment you need to work safely at height. While there are many products available on the market, these are the most essential solutions for solar panel installation:
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Mobile scaffold towers, preferably fitted with a solar panel hoist, for safe access along the long side of the roof.
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Temporary edge protection systems that can be installed alongside the scaffold tower to provide collective fall protection at the roof edge.
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Scaffolding for the sloping sides of the roof, for example when working on detached or semi-detached houses.
All of the above are forms of collective fall protection.
The final level of protection is personal fall protection equipment, such as roof safety line systems and other fall restraint or fall arrest equipment. These solutions are generally used only when collective protection is not feasible. In practice, many roofs do not have suitable anchor points, and roof safety line systems should only be used by personnel who have received appropriate training.
Our specialists are happy to advise you on the most suitable solution for your application.
Training in safe and efficient use
The next step is our Solar training course.
During this practical training, participants learn how to use the essential safety equipment correctly and professionally on fully equipped training roofs, including both pitched and flat roofs. The training can also be tailored to reflect your own working environment.
In just half a day, participants learn how to erect a mobile scaffold tower efficiently and install temporary edge protection safely and correctly.
Installing solar panels safely
You've probably heard about it or perhaps even experienced it yourself: a solar panel installer falling from a roof and suffering serious injuries. The consequences can be severe. So how can these accidents be prevented? According to the Netherlands Labour Authority (NLA), one important part of the answer is following the industry's Health and Safety Catalogue (Arbocatalogue).
There is more to consider than that alone. A proper Risk Inventory and Evaluation (RI&E), the right fall protection equipment, and thorough training are all essential for working safely at height.
At Mennens, you'll find all of this under one roof. Discover how we can help you create a safer working environment for solar panel installation.
