While using a roof ladder by default already greatly increases your safety when working on top of a house or building that has a slope, there are still things that you can do to optimize your safety. The first thing that you should do after laying the ladder down and before climbing on it is to make sure that it actually is indeed secure. Since you’ll be leaning or balancing on this ladder, you need to be positive that it is rooted firmly and won’t be slipping or sliding around.
If it doesn’t seem firm to you, then try to find a better spot by sliding it over. After you have chosen what you believe to be the best reasonable stop, you can further enforce the ladder by tying it to a sturdy object. For example, at the bottom of the slope there is often a “spike” type of connector, if you will. This is a great place to attach a bungie cord or a rope from the ladder to the spike. This will keep the ladder from sliding back and forth, as well as serving as an anchor point for the hooks so that they don’t move.
You may also want to look into wearing a harness while working on your project. This can serve as just another safety mechanism, sort of as a contingency plan. Should the ladder fall, or should you lose your balance, you’ll still have the harness to break your fall before you hit the ground, which could end up preventing serious injury. If you’re working for a roofing company or run your own, you may want to look into this so you can provide your workers with the maximum safety and security possible. Furthermore, in some areas harnesses are required by law, so this is something that you should definitely check into.
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