It’s not uncommon for 20th century warehouses to enjoy new life as modern office spaces, and like any building, it’s important to ensure roof access is safe and appropriate for the current Australian building and safety standards.
The MYOB Australian headquarters is housed in a 19th century warehouse in the suburb of Cremorne in Melbourne. While the warehouse’s interiors enjoyed a complete modern transformation, the exterior requires regular height safety access to ensure the safety and integrity of the roof and gutter systems.
The challenge
RISSafety Manager Graham Farrey says that frequent roof access is especially important given the age of the building. “At the time of the warehouse conversion access to and around the roof was not considered, and with multiple saw-tooth roof sections and no safe means of access our client found it challenging to engage a contractor with the capabilities and experience to address the complex access requirements.” Until now, the client had to hire expensive access equipment as needed in order to reach the roof safely.
Indeed, retrofitting a roof safety access system to a building that doesn’t traditionally accommodate it is a scenario we have come across often, having completed similar fitouts before for Museums Victoria and Sydney’s Town Hall and Customs House.
The solution
After a thorough assessment of the site and close consultation with the client, Form Holdings, our team designed, manufactured and installed a custom system comprising permanent ladders, walkways and guardrails to provide safe access to the roof, for future inspections and maintenance of the gutters and HVAC equipment.
Says Farrey: “The roof walkways were levelled on the 14-degree, saw-tooth roof sections. Guardrails were also installed to enhance user safety and prevent falls onto the brittle and fragile roof areas.
“Fixed Aluminium rung ladders with safety cages were installed allowing a safe and seamless transition between each saw-tooth section, also negating the need for harnesses and expensive one-off hiring of access equipment.”
The onsite Installation was completed with minimal impact to the MYOB offices below. Now, building managers and contractors have safe access to the roof to make ongoing maintenance and compliance audits easier and more cost efficient.
Our team provides an end-to-end design, manufacturing and installation service on roof safety access systems, which saves you time and money. If your building needs an upgraded or new custom access system, get in touch with our team today.
