For this, Jürgen Silmbroth and Selina Bauchinger from INNOTECH eventually defined the AIO lifeline system and the associated single anchor points (EAP) as the best possible variant for Teccon. For this, see also the blog about the planning of Teccon’s PV system.
And so in mid-November the installation of the PV system and the safety solution finally got under way. And from decades of experience we know that proper and professional installation of the fall protection system is paramount when it comes to safety for cleaning and servicing tasks on a customer’s roof. This also saves the customer a huge amount of time and money.
Key data for the project
The flat roof with a surface of around 1,300 m² and an inclination of 2° was to be equipped with 424 PV modules, which would deliver an overall output of 171.71 kWp.
Two lifeline systems (AIO), each having a length of 67 metres and equipped with two single anchor points, were deployed for this. Characteristics of this INNOTECH fall protection system include the option of direct installation onto the PV substructure – on this case, that from Novotegra, which was delivered by the distributor BayWa r.e.
And this is exactly what was implemented in order to exploit the whole of the rectangular roof for solar panels and to protect the entire area beyond this professionally and in conformity with the law, without risking the creation of shading by the safety solution.
Installation of the fall protection system
While MET Elektro Unterlerchner installed the Novotegra substructure on Teccon’s company roof, Jürgen Silmbroth and his four-person team of fitters then fixed the base plates for the fall protection system directly to the PV substructure.
As always, it was checked in advance whether the existing ballasting was sufficient to actually withstand the forces of a fall in an emergency. Above all, the intermediate brackets between the start and end of the cable were examined very closely in this regard.
The four fitters were also trained by Jürgen Silmbroth in the INNOTECH AIO lifeline system and the associated single anchor points. This ensured that the installation would be problem-free for Teccon. At the same time, because of the training, the fitters are now also able to carry out all future maintenance and repair tasks independently, as well as further AIO projects.
Everyone involved performed professionally and was fully up-to-speed, and so the installation was completed within just a few days, on 15 November 2022 in fact, and it was therefore possible to formally accept the PV system, together with its fall protection system.
No serious problems...
“Jürgen Silmbroth’s many years of expertise meant that there were no serious problems in terms of installing the selected fall protection system”, the Teccon management reflected with satisfaction.
This was of such significance because “this showcase project involved a new installation variant, and this represented the greatest challenge”. This potential difficulty was mastered without incident, thanks to the know-how of the INNOTECH experts.
The fall protection system – the AIO PASSABLE
This lifeline system is perfect for securing horizontal surfaces up to an inclination angle of 10°, and it provides 100% protection against falls. In addition, the AIO lifeline system is very flexible and adaptable.
A further benefit is that it can also be attached directly to the PV substructure. Inconvenient attaching and detaching are unnecessary – which means that all workers can move on the roof in absolute safety at all times.
For Teccon, the individual elements of the lifeline system were installed at separations of 15 m. At the ends of the lifeline system, cable tension is maintained constant – even if there are temperature variations – by pre-tensioning.
The AIO lifeline system is certified to the latest state of the art, and also to EN 795:2012 TYPES C and E, as well as CEN/TS 16415.
And also:
The system is delivered directly to the construction site. The scope of delivery also includes various information materials, such as very detailed product information. You will also find further information on the subject of fall protection systems on PV installations here.
In this project, training directly onsite for the fall protection system by the INNOTECH experts proved to be particularly practical. The fitters thus learnt by doing, and are now qualified to protect future projects using the AIO lifeline system.
Summary
The installation of fall protection systems for PV installations on a roof should be performed exclusively by appropriately trained personnel, because not only could installation errors have fatal outcomes for the safety of servicing and cleaning workers, but also legal consequences for the operator.
For Teccon Jürgen Silmbroth was present onsite to ensure that all activities during the installation of the AIO lifeline system onto the PV substructure were performed professionally and robustly. Formal acceptance of the equipment, including the certified fall protection system was possible in just a few days.
Contact us immediately for further information. Together with you we plan and install the optimum fall protection for any PV system installed on a roof.
Find out in the next blog post exactly how the project turned out, and what the managing director of BayWa r.e. has to say about it. It's well worth a look.
