The installation of a fall protection system for your PV system on the roof requires a certain amount of expertise!

The reason is that these factors ultimately determine not only the performance of the solar power plant but also the safety of the staff moving about on the roof while performing these work steps.  Besides, the law requires, for instance, that the annually recurring inspections of roof safety systems and anchorage devices be performed exclusively by certified personnel. And, for good reason as the roof ranks among the most dangers workplaces there are.

This is why we offer an exceedingly detailed and in-depth training course for all of our safety systems designed for PV systems fitted on the roof. These courses enable the solar technician or installer to complete the fastening of the protection system such that it will withstand the forces generated during the emergency of a fall and actually hold up and save lives!

The training courses at a glance

The best possible functionality of your fall protection as well as an optimal performance of your PV system on the roof starts with the right and well-founded training. This is because, above all, it teaches you how to install the respective safety system properly so that all maintenance and cleaning work on the solar power plant on your roof can also be carried out regularly and, above all, safely!

Therefore, we have also developed a suitable training course for each fall protection system from INNOTECH, which is offered as part of our wide-ranging INNO|school programme. The courses will turn the installers and solar technicians into experts on the corresponding fall protection system. In light of the fact that we continuously develop our products further, the certificate of competence will remain valid for 3 years before they have to be renewed. The courses are primarily held at our training centre in Austria (Laizing 10, 4656 Kirchham) or at our subsidiary in Switzerland.

• Expert training course:
  Within two days, the participants are not only taught the expert assembly, documentation and inspection of the respective fall protection system, but also the legal basics, the topic of apparent safety and the professional planning and documentation with the tools INNO|doc & INNO|plan. All participants receive their corresponding training certificate after positive completion. Part of this expert training are also the topics of the company HILTI - theory dowel technology according to the applicable standard and practical exercise dowel technology. The certificates are valid for 3 years. 

• Rescue training course:
  This single day training course deals with the topic of rescuing and stabilising a staff member who fell victim to a fall from a height. For this purpose, the course primarily discusses the forces and energies (fall factor) produced in an emergency, possible hazards when using PPE and/or the rescue concept / the rescue chain, first-aid measures and suspension trauma as well as the correct way to put on and adjust the safety harness including hang test. The rescue training course cannot be held until after the completion of an expert training class offered by INNOTECH. The certificate remains valid for one year.

• PPE training course | class:
  This course provides the participants with extensive instructions on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). This single day course offers a theoretical exploration into such subject matters as basic legal principles and material science / company-specific requirements and teaches the practical application of these subject matters. The participants completing this course will be able to use personal protective equipment correctly and competently and define the personal protective equipment that is best suited for each specific use case. 

• Training for fall protection on PV systems:
  In this 1-day training course, the participants are taught the theoretical and practical knowledge about the different fall protection systems for PV systems on the roof. Afterwards, the graduates are able to install the safety systems properly and professionally and to carry out the prescribed annual inspections and maintenance safely and correctly. In addition, the topics of apparent safety and the correct and complete documentation of installation and maintenance or inspection of the integrated SOPV fall protection systems are also gone through in the course of this training.

• INNO|training:
  Lasting 4 to 5 hours, this training can easily be held on site as it is taught on the INNOTECH training bus that will make a stop at your construction site. This is of great benefit - especially to those companies that are unable to send their staff to the training centre. The participants completing the course will receive a certificate of training that authorises them to install our products professionally. The certificate of participation remains valid for 18 months. 

Given that summer is the peak season for construction sites and, thus, the installation of PV systems on roofs, the training centre operated by INNOTECH will remain closed from June to September. This is yet another reason why INNO|training is well worth considering. The course allows the solar technician to complete their training on the INNOTECH products while working on roofs; this lets you start your project right away and saves you the need of waiting for the autumn.

Another option is to sign up for the training course of your choice directly during your conversation with our sales representative. The special training courses that focus on fall prevention systems for PV installations on the roof – AIO lifeline system, TAURUS rail system and EAP – are primarily held in the autumn and winter. These courses consider all specific aspects that are relevant to fall protection systems that have been installed to secure PV systems on flat and pitched roofs.

Apart from the slope on the pitched roof, these aspects also include the areas of particular danger on a flat roof and all the practical challenges the installer may encounter, such as skylights, chimneys, air conditioners or other obstacles found on the roof. Also part of the training is the installation of the fall protection system directly on the substructure of the PV system. The training / qualification furthermore covers vertical use. 

Another essential step towards ensuring fall protection for your PV system on the roof - besides installing / setting up the safety system - is documentation. Documenting the system is even required by law. This is why documentation is also part of our training courses. And: INNO|doc now lets you complete it in fully automated and digital fashion! 

Structure of the training courses

The basis for our training program is formed by the teaching of the overall fundamentals, which are the same across all of the training courses we offer and follow the (S)TOP principle of INNOTECH – S = Substitution/T = Technical Measures /O = Organisational Measures /P = Personal Protective Measures. Once the basics have been covered, the subsequent training on the respective segment/system is split into blocks. These blocks are structured as follows:

• Block 1 – SOPV: This block walks through the particulars of each specific application. With regard to fall protection for PV systems, these are the INNOTECH products AIO (lifeline systems), TAURUS (rail systems) and EAP (single anchorage points). The block is further divided into a theoretical and a practical part. à Link to block post

• Block 2 – Climbing protection, transmission lines, poles, offshore: This block discusses all details needed for the planning of the installation including documentation – using planning examples and other techniques for better illustration. 

• Block 3 – Industry/production: Aside from addressing the safeguarding of machinery, this block also covers the areas of production lines and cranes as well as the high-level rack, façade and roof.

Summary

Initial and further training provided by experts and professionals are essential and even required by law when it comes to ensuring fall protection for your PV system installed on the roof. This means: Only staff who have been certified accordingly are allowed to install and service the corresponding fall protection system. The range of training courses offered by INNOTECH is extensive and covers all areas that are relevant to your fall protection system. For more information on the training courses from INNOTECH, click here.

Simply contact us if you have further questions! Our experts will be happy to help you select the training course that is best suited for your PV system on the roof. Take advantage of our 1 + 1 offer for our new training for fall protection on PV systems until 30 September 2022. Find out more here. 

You will also find additional information in our new manual!