Roof Trusses Fabrication Safe Work Method Statement SWMS

The sub-contractor or person doing the work is responsible for carrying out a particular action, as listed in this safe work method statement SWMS.

The supervisor is responsible to ensure that the sub-contractor or person doing the work is competent and satisfied with the procedures listed.

The supervisor is required to provide supervision, to the extent necessary, to make sure the SWMS is being followed and to take immediate corrective action if it is not.

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We shall explain the steps for performing the roof trusses erection and fabrication that shall follow below pattern for each step:

Job Step: Break the job down into steps.

Identified Hazard and Assessment: What can cause a high degree of harm?

Controls: What you are going to do to make this step as safe as possible, include equipment to be used where appropriate.

Before this or any SWMS is used it must be checked and adjusted to suit a person’s individual work method, as long as hazards are identified and controlled.

Additional steps will need to be added or modified to suit particular circumstances. A main function of the Safe Work Method Statement is to identify unsafe conditions and work practices and nominate adequate controls.

Job Step: Plan the work

Identified Hazard and Assessment: Slips, trips, falls, sprains, strains, structural collapse, falling objects.

Control Measures: Ensure that:

1. Floor sheeting is complete and covers all areas below roofing activities, including stair voids, and is clear of all off cuts, debris etc. Note: If stair void is not covered with floor sheeting, other arrangements must be made to arrest potential falls from the truss erection activities into the void.

2. All wall frames are secured and fully nailed off and adequately braced with permanent and temporary bracing to take all loads imposed during truss erection, including stockpiling trusses on top of walls.

3. Access to and from the floor area below the roof is clear of all debris and materials. Where ladders or ramps are used they must be properly set up and secured.

4. Barricades and signage are positioned to delineate ‘no-go-zones’ below the truss installation activities, warning of potential falling objects and prohibiting access during installation activities.

Job Step: Erect safe work platforms

Identified Hazard and Assessment: Falls from heights, slips, trips, sprains, strains

Control Measures:

Platforms may be erected on trestles or scaffolding or other systems complying with AS6001 or AS1576.

1. erect work platform inside of perimeter truss bearing walls, two planks wide (min 450mm) and 1200mm below top plate (height may be adjusted to provide a suitable working position for the truss/plate connection and allow comfortable “ducking under” bottom chord of trusses)

2. Erect work platforms at mid span (or below panel points on top chord). Ensure that height is adequate to allow installer to work at top chord to position longitudinal ties near the top chord panel points. Height of mid span platforms should be 1950 mm (must not exceed 2000 mm from top of plank to floor).

Platform should be two planks wide (min 450 mm) and be supported at approx. 1800mm to minimize ‘bounce’.

Mark position of trusses on top plates

Identified Hazard and Assessment: Falls from height

Control Measures: Working from platform at load bearing perimeter walls, mark position of all trusses.

Job Step: Load trusses on to wall frames

Identified Hazard and Assessment: Falls, slips, trips sprains strains

Control Measures: Trusses should be stock piled by cranage onto the top plates which have been additionally braced to carry the extra temporary load.

Work should be planned so that trusses are arranged in sequence (as required by the manufacturer’s instructions) to minimise manual handling during the truss standing process.

Job Step: Standing trusses

Identified Hazard and Assessment: Falls, slips, trips, sprains, strains and structural collapse

Control Measures:

Trusses should be taken from the stock pile and carried to their positions by each of the installers working from their respective work platforms.

The standing process should proceed from the furthest point on the roof working back towards the stock pile.

This will minimize ‘ducking under’ trusses which have already been erected.

The first truss must be securely braced, straight and plumb at the panel points on the top and bottom chords. The accuracy and security of the placement of the first truss will govern the accuracy and security of the subsequent trusses. Manufacturer’s tolerance requirements for straightness must be complied with.

The standing operation should proceed ensuring each truss is securely fixed in position with fixings secured at each panel point on the top and bottom chords. The temporary fixings may consist of temporary or permanent longitudinal ties or proprietary brand spacers.

Where apex of trusses cannot be reached from existing work platforms, another platform (2 planks – min 450mm wide) must be erected approx. 1200mm below the apex. (or a suitable working height from the apex) to allow a longitudinal tie to be fixed along the full run of trusses at the apex.

The platform may be erected by securing a bearer to web members at approx. 1800mm centres. Work for this platform must be done from a temporary platform erected on the bottom chord of the installed and secured trusses.

As the platform below the apex will be more than 2000mm above the floor, the longitudinal tie being attached will act as an effective guardrail.

This platform and the previously constructed platforms must be used for the installation of speed bracing.

Note: the longitudinal tie at the apex should be solid timber to provide adequate compressive strength to give full effect to the function of the diagonal speed bracing. If truss erection includes roof battens, the roof battens will provide this strength. Otherwise, the roof must be made adequate to withstand wind loads and future construction loads of following trades.

Job Step: Install ancillary items

Identified Hazard and Assessment: Falls from the roof

Control Measures: Install all ties, noggings, trimming, framing brackets and tie-downs. All work in this operation must be carried out from the working platforms or off step ladders from the floor.

Job Step: Remove work platforms

Identified Hazard and Assessment: Sprains, strains, slips, trips, falls

Control Measures: Remove work platforms in the reverse order that they were erected, working from step ladders from the floor below.