Fall Protection Systems
Edge Protection Scaffolding in Kent & South East London
Roof Edge Protection Systems for Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Projects
Edge protection is a legal requirement wherever people work near an exposed roof edge or elevated fall hazard. Under the Work at Height Regulations 2005, collective protective measures — including guardrails, intermediate rails and toe boards — must be given priority over personal protective equipment. Whether you are a homeowner arranging roof repairs, a roofing contractor working on a re-roofing project, or a developer managing a large commercial build, the right edge protection system keeps people safe and keeps your project compliant throughout the duration of the works. All Scaffolding Services Kent Ltd supplies and installs BS EN 13374 compliant edge protection systems across Kent and South East London for domestic, commercial and industrial projects. We work with homeowners, roofing contractors, builders, developers and main contractors to provide the appropriate system for each site — whether that is standalone edge protection, scaffold-integrated edge protection, or a combination of edge protection and temporary roof cover. All installations are carried out by CISRS-qualified scaffolders and are planned in accordance with the Work at Height Regulations 2005, BS EN 13374 and relevant HSE guidance.
What Is Edge Protection Scaffolding?
- A physical barrier system installed at or near the edge of a roof or elevated working area
- Prevents people from falling from the roof perimeter during construction, roofing and maintenance works
- Consists of guardrails, intermediate rails and toe boards supported by posts or scaffold tubes
- Can be standalone — fixed directly to the roof structure — or integrated into a full scaffold
- Used on pitched roofs, flat roofs, extensions, dormers, loft conversions and commercial buildings
- Required wherever people are working near an exposed edge at height
- Covers domestic, commercial and industrial applications across all building types
- Installed and dismantled by CISRS-qualified scaffolders
When Is Edge Protection Required?
- Roof repairs, tile and slate replacement, and patch repairs
- Full re-roofing and complete roof replacement
- New roof construction on extensions and new-build properties
- Loft conversions — including dormer construction and structural roof alterations
- Flat roof repairs, replacement and commercial flat roof maintenance
- Gutter replacement, fascia and soffit installation
- Chimney repairs, repointing and stack rebuilding
- Rendering and external wall finishing at height
- Solar panel installation on pitched and flat roofs
- External refurbishment and maintenance programmes
- Commercial and industrial roofing projects
- Any work where people are at risk of falling from a roof edge or elevated platform
How Edge Protection Is Installed
- Site survey to assess roof type, pitch, building height and working area
- Selection of the appropriate system — standalone, scaffold-integrated or temporary
- Guardrails positioned to prevent falls from the roof perimeter
- Intermediate rails fitted between the guardrail and toe board
- Toe boards installed at foot level to prevent tools and materials being kicked off the edge
- Posts and supports anchored to the building structure or scaffold
- Safety netting fitted where additional protection is required below the working area
- Formal handover inspection before work begins
- Periodic inspections throughout the project
- Safe dismantling and removal on completion of the works
Roof Edge Protection for All Roof Types
- Pitched roofs — guardrails and toe boards at eaves level for re-roofing, repairs and ridge work
- Flat roofs — perimeter edge protection for repairs, replacement, maintenance and solar installation
- Mansard roofs — edge protection configured to suit the complex geometry of mansard roof structures
- Dormer roofs — protection around dormer cheeks and flat dormer roofs during loft conversion works
- Extension roofs — edge protection during new roof construction on single and two-storey extensions
- Garage and outbuilding roofs — standalone systems for smaller structures where full scaffold is not required
- Commercial flat roofs — large-perimeter edge protection for offices, warehouses and retail premises
- Industrial roofs — edge protection for factories, distribution centres and large-span industrial buildings
Domestic Edge Protection
- Roof repairs and tile replacement on houses and bungalows
- Full re-roofing of domestic properties
- Loft conversions — protecting exposed roof edges throughout the build
- Dormer construction — edge protection at cheeks, flat roof and junction with main roof
- Single and two-storey extensions — roof edge protection during construction
- Gutter and fascia replacement on domestic properties
- Chimney repairs and repointing on residential buildings
- Rendering and external finishing at height on houses and flats
- Solar panel installation on domestic pitched and flat roofs
- Standalone systems for smaller domestic projects where full scaffolding is not required
Commercial and Industrial Edge Protection
- Offices and commercial premises — flat roof maintenance and refurbishment
- Warehouses and distribution centres — large-perimeter edge protection for industrial roofing
- Factories and manufacturing facilities — edge protection for industrial maintenance programmes
- Retail premises and shopping centres — edge protection during refurbishment and re-roofing
- Schools and educational buildings — compliant edge protection for roofing and maintenance works
- Commercial new-build developments — edge protection integrated into the access scaffold
- Occupied buildings — edge protection installed and managed to minimise disruption
- Principal contractor and main contractor projects — coordination with site management teams
- Property management programmes — planned maintenance with edge protection as standard
- Industrial maintenance contracts — ongoing edge protection for regular roof access requirements
Standalone Edge Protection vs Full Scaffolding
- Standalone edge protection: appropriate where trades can access the roof independently and no working platform at eaves level is required
- Standalone systems: common on smaller domestic projects such as roof repairs, gutter replacement and chimney work
- Full scaffolding with integrated edge protection: required where trades need a working platform at eaves level or at multiple levels
- Full scaffolding: necessary where materials need to be stored at height or where the building requires access at several levels
- Scaffold-integrated edge protection: the most common arrangement on larger projects — access and edge protection combined
- Temporary edge protection: short-term systems for specific phases of work, such as during roof stripping before a full scaffold is erected
- Combined scaffold and temporary roof: where weather protection is also required alongside edge protection during re-roofing works
- We will advise on the correct solution for your project based on a site assessment and the scope of the works
Components of an Edge Protection System
- Guardrails — the primary barrier at the top of the system, preventing falls over the roof edge
- Intermediate rails — a mid-height rail preventing people from passing under the guardrail
- Toe boards — a board at foot level preventing tools, materials and debris from being kicked off the edge
- Posts and supports — vertical members supporting the guardrails, either scaffold tubes or proprietary posts
- Fixings and anchorage — the means by which the system is secured to the building structure or scaffold
- Scaffold tubes and fittings — used where edge protection is scaffold-based, constructed from standard scaffold components
- Safety netting — used in conjunction with edge protection where additional protection below the working area is required
- Working platforms — incorporated into the scaffold design at roof level where trades need to work from a platform
Site Survey and Planning
- Building height and number of storeys
- Roof type — pitched, flat, mansard, complex geometry
- Roof pitch and surface condition
- Access to the roof and the building perimeter
- Ground conditions and available working space at the base of the building
- Proximity to neighbouring properties, boundaries and public areas
- Footpaths, highways and public access around the building
- Existing scaffolding or access structures already in place
- Other trades on site and their programme requirements
- Duration of the works and any phasing requirements
- Materials and equipment to be used at height
- Weather exposure and site conditions
- Building condition and available fixing points
- Any requirement for highway licences or pavement licences
Who We Work With
- Homeowners arranging roof repairs, re-roofing, loft conversions and extensions
- Roofing contractors requiring edge protection for domestic and commercial roofing projects
- Builders and general contractors working on extensions, new builds and refurbishment
- Bricklayers and rendering contractors working at height on external walls
- Loft conversion specialists requiring edge protection throughout the build programme
- Developers and house builders on residential and commercial development sites
- Main contractors and principal contractors on larger construction projects
- Property managers arranging planned maintenance and refurbishment programmes
- Commercial clients managing occupied buildings during roofing and maintenance works
- Industrial operators requiring edge protection for factory and warehouse roof maintenance
HSE Compliance and the Work at Height Regulations 2005
- The Work at Height Regulations 2005 place a legal duty on employers and the self-employed to ensure that work at height is properly planned, supervised and carried out safely
- Regulation 6 requires that collective protective measures — such as edge protection — are given priority over personal protective equipment such as harnesses
- Edge protection must be provided wherever there is a risk of a person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury
- The HSE defines a fragile surface as one that cannot safely support the weight of a person — edge protection is required around all fragile roof areas
- The regulations apply to all work at height, including maintenance, repair, cleaning and inspection — not just construction
- Employers must ensure that equipment used for work at height is suitable, stable and of sufficient strength for the task
- Scaffolding and edge protection must be inspected by a competent person before use and at regular intervals
- Records of inspections must be kept and made available to the HSE on request
- Failure to comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005 can result in prosecution, fines and imprisonment
- All Scaffolding Services Kent Ltd installs edge protection in accordance with the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and relevant HSE guidance
BS EN 13374: Temporary Edge Protection System Classes
- BS EN 13374 is the British and European standard governing the design, testing and use of temporary edge protection systems on construction sites
- The standard defines three classes of edge protection system based on the roof pitch and the risk of a person sliding or rolling towards the edge
- Class A systems: suitable for use on flat roofs and low-pitched roofs up to 10 degrees — the standard guardrail, intermediate rail and toe board arrangement
- Class B systems: suitable for roofs pitched between 10 and 30 degrees — designed to arrest a sliding person and withstand the dynamic load of a fall
- Class C systems: suitable for roofs pitched between 30 and 45 degrees — the most robust class, designed for steep pitches where the risk of sliding is greatest
- The correct class of system must be selected based on the actual roof pitch — using an under-specified system is a regulatory breach
- BS EN 13374 sets out minimum dimensions for guardrail height, intermediate rail spacing and toe board height
- Systems must be tested and certified to BS EN 13374 by the manufacturer before use on site
- Our team selects the appropriate class of system for each project based on the roof pitch and the scope of the works
- We can advise on the correct system class for your project during the site survey and assessment
Guardrail, Intermediate Rail and Toe Board Specifications
- Guardrail height: the top guardrail must be positioned at a minimum height of 950mm above the working level — typically 1,000mm in practice
- Intermediate rail: a mid-height rail must be fitted so that the gap between the guardrail and the toe board does not exceed 470mm
- Toe board height: toe boards must be at least 150mm high to prevent tools, materials and debris from being kicked off the edge
- Toe boards must be close-boarded — no gaps that would allow small items to pass through
- Posts and uprights must be spaced to prevent deflection of the guardrail under load — typically no more than 2.4 metres apart
- All components must be capable of withstanding a horizontal force of at least 0.63 kN per metre run of guardrail
- Scaffold tube guardrails must be a minimum of 48.3mm diameter to meet the required strength
- Proprietary edge protection systems must be CE-marked and tested to BS EN 13374
- Fixings and anchorage must be designed to resist the loads imposed by the guardrail system without failure
- Where the working level is a sloping surface, the guardrail height is measured vertically from the working surface at the point of installation
Edge Protection for Roofing and Building Contractors
- We work regularly with roofing contractors, builders, loft conversion specialists and rendering contractors across Kent and South East London
- Contractors can arrange edge protection directly with us — we do not require a homeowner or developer to be the primary contact
- We can mobilise quickly to meet contractor programme requirements, including short-notice installations
- We coordinate with your site programme to ensure edge protection is in place before roof stripping or other at-height work begins
- We provide scaffold-integrated edge protection, standalone edge protection, or temporary edge protection depending on the scope of the works
- We can provide handover documentation and inspection records to support your site safety file
- We are Constructionline Gold accredited and SSIP accredited — our documentation is accepted by principal contractors and main contractors
- We carry £10m public liability insurance — certificates available on request
- We can attend site to carry out a pre-installation survey and provide a written quotation
- Contact us to discuss your programme requirements and we will confirm availability and pricing
Why Choose All Scaffolding Services Kent Ltd?
- Constructionline Gold accredited
- SSIP accredited — Achilles
- Achilles Level 2 status
- £10m public liability insurance
- CISRS qualified scaffolders
- Standalone and scaffold-integrated systems
- Domestic, commercial and industrial capability
- Kent and South East London coverage
- Site survey and assessment included
- Fast installation and response
- Clear, itemised quotations
- Coordination with roofing and building contractors
- BS EN 13374 compliant systems — Class A, B and C
- Work at Height Regulations 2005 compliant
- Handover documentation and inspection records provided
Pricing
- Roof size and perimeter length — larger roofs require more materials and longer installation time
- Building height — greater height increases the complexity and time required for installation
- Roof geometry and complexity — irregular shapes, dormers and multiple pitches add to the scope
- System type — standalone edge protection or scaffold-integrated systems have different cost profiles
- Access to the building and the roof — restricted access or confined working space increases installation time
- Duration of the works — longer projects require the system to remain in place for an extended period
- Whether additional scaffolding is required alongside the edge protection
- Temporary roof requirements — where weather protection is also needed during re-roofing works
- Pavement or highway requirements — where a licence is needed to work over a public footpath or road
- Alterations required during the project — changes to the scope of work may require modifications to the system
- Location within Kent or South East London — travel and logistics are factored into the quotation
- BS EN 13374 system class required — Class B and C systems for steeper pitches require more robust components
- Inspection and documentation requirements — projects requiring formal handover packs and periodic inspection records
Frequently Asked Questions
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