For Roofing employers and workers, this guide explains how a safe-system method statement supports height work, and how a Working at Heights Course ties it to your day-to-day Roofing work.
Method Statements in Roofing
A re-slating job on a pitched domestic roof in winter, where one slip on a frosted slate can be fatal without edge protection and a rescue plan. When it comes to how a safe-system method statement supports height work, Roofing teams have to control hazards such as falls from the roof edge or eaves, slips on wet, mossy or frosted surfaces and being blown off-balance in coastal Irish wind. Fragile-roof work is one of the HSA's top fatal-fall causes. Crawl boards, perimeter protection and a documented rescue plan are expected before anyone steps onto the roof.
The Roofing action list
- Record a risk assessment for each Roofing task at height
- Choose collective protection before personal protection
- Certify the team with a Working at Heights Course
- Inspect equipment and keep the logs
- Plan rescue before work begins
The Working at Heights Course makes compliance simple
The practical fix is straightforward. Our Working at Heights Course is delivered fully online, takes about 45 minutes, and issues a downloadable certificate the same day. It is CPD certified, RoSPA approved and QQI aligned, and it is written specifically for Roofing teams across Ireland.
The Working at Heights Training covers the avoid-prevent-minimise hierarchy, ladder and stepladder safety, MEWPs and scaffolds, harnesses and anchor points, and how to carry out a proper risk assessment. Every learner finishes with a recognised Working at Heights Certificate that stands up to HSA inspection and supports your insurance position.
Training that goes beyond the tick-box
Young and new workers are over-represented in fall statistics, and Method Statements in Roofing is no exception. Setting good habits from the very first day - never climbing on furniture, never overreaching, always inspecting equipment - is far easier than unlearning bad ones later. Early certification with a Working at Heights Course pays back for an entire career.
The cheapest control is always to avoid the work at height in the first place. For Method Statements in Roofing, that can mean long-handled tools, lowering the task to ground level, or designing the job so no one needs to climb. Where that is impossible, collective protection such as guardrails and platforms beats personal protection every time.
Frequently asked questions
What is a method statement for working at height?
A step-by-step safe system of work that turns your risk assessment into clear, controlled instructions for the task.
How does this affect Roofing specifically?
In Roofing, the same rules apply with sector-specific hazards. Our Working at Heights Training covers both.
Is online training enough for Roofing?
Yes for the core legal and safe-system knowledge; add equipment-specific tickets where the Roofing task requires them.
More on staying safe at height
Weather turns a routine job into a dangerous one faster than anything else in Ireland. Wind, rain, frost and poor light all raise the risk of roofing work at height, and the right call is often to stop and reassess rather than push on. Knowing where that line sits is part of being properly trained.
Supervision is the quiet control that holds everything together. Even a perfectly trained worker drifts under time pressure, so someone on site needs the knowledge and the authority to stop unsafe work involving roofing work at height before it becomes an incident. That only happens when supervisors are trained too.
Get certified today
Do not wait for an HSA inspection or a near miss to act. Roofing employers and workers can complete the Working at Heights Course online in 45 minutes and download a certificate the same day. For 10 or more learners, see our team training rates, or contact our team for a tailored quote.
Start the online Working at Heights Training now and put a recognised certificate in every worker's file before the next job at height begins.
