Roofing Task Analysis Template (New Zealand)
A roof is not a safe work platform just because someone has walked on it before. This New Zealand roofing template turns a specific roof job into a sequence of decisions: whether the task can be done from the ground, how access and edge/through-roof falls will be prevented, how the roof's structure will be assessed, and when work must stop. It is a working form for a competent planner and crew, not a substitute for a structural assessment or a rescue plan.
WorkSafe's current working at height page says fall risks must be managed from any height. It gives preference to elimination and stronger collective or physical controls over reliance on personal protection. Its working on roofs guide warns that that older guide has not been fully updated for the 2015 Act; use it for practical roof hazards alongside current law and current WorkSafe height guidance. Do not turn its examples into a universal legal rule.
Roof and job record
| Field | Site-specific entry |
|---|---|
| Site, roof zone, task and expected sequence | |
| PCBU, lead contractor, supervisor and roofing crew | |
| Roof type, pitch, condition, load capacity evidence and fragile areas | |
| Known skylights, openings, asbestos/other hazardous materials | |
| Weather forecast and site-specific stop/restart decision maker | |
| Access and egress route | |
| Edge protection, internal fall protection and installation plan | |
| Tools/materials, lifting and exclusion below | |
| Fall rescue plan, trained persons and equipment | |
| WorkSafe particular-hazardous-work notification check |
Copyable task sequence
| Stage | What could go wrong? | Planned control and hold point | Owner / check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Survey roof and scope | Fragile sheet/skylight, weak structure, hidden hazard | Competent assessment from a safe location; identify no-go zones and loads; check hazardous materials before disturbance. Hold access until uncertainties resolved. | |
| 2. Choose safer method | Unnecessary exposure to height | Consider ground-based, prefabricated or MEWP method first; document why roof access remains necessary. | |
| 3. Install access and protection | Fall while installing control | Competent installation of scaffold/edge protection and safe access; protect installers; verify handover/inspection. | |
| 4. Protect through-roof hazards | Fall through skylight or brittle material | Cover/barrier/engineer safe platform as appropriate; mark and communicate no-go areas. | |
| 5. Move materials and work | Overloading, falling objects, slip, cut, weather change | Control lifting and storage, exclusion below, tool security, footing and weather; maintain protection as work advances. | |
| 6. Complete and remove controls | Fall during dismantling; unprotected finished roof | Plan reverse sequence, protect dismantlers and inspect finished roof/openings before handover. |
If personal fall arrest is needed because stronger controls are not reasonably practicable, the competent planner must specify a suitable anchor, compatible equipment, clearance, training and a practical rescue. A harness on its own is not a control. WorkSafe's height guidance shows the control hierarchy; its scaffolding guidance covers scaffold edge protection and competence. This form does not choose anchors or certify equipment.
Weather and changes
Record rain, wind, lightning, temperature, surface condition and visibility before access and when conditions change. Choose stop/restart criteria from the roof, manufacturer instructions and competent assessment; do not invent a national wind-speed limit for all roofing. Stop for lost edge protection, new openings, unexpected fragility, shifting scaffold, uncontrolled public access or a change in work method. Make the area safe, revise the plan and rebrief workers before restarting.
Example: replacing sheets around skylights
A crew must replace cladding near translucent roof lights. Before access it identifies fragile zones and assesses roof capacity, provides safe access and perimeter protection, and controls through-roof falls at each skylight. Materials are lifted to agreed points without overloading the roof. When rain makes footing unreliable, work stops and the supervisor decides when the roof is safe to re-enter. The plan describes the sequence, not just a PPE list.
Notification and handover
Some construction work with a risk of falling five metres or more, and some scaffold erection/dismantling, must be notified as particular hazardous work subject to exact exclusions. Five metres is a notification criterion, not a threshold below which fall protection is unnecessary. Check current WorkSafe wording and evidence of any notice before starting. Then record protection inspections, crew briefing, changes, residual roof hazards and final handover to the person controlling the building.
Briefing record: worker/role ___; date/time ___; roof no-go areas shown ___; rescue practised/confirmed ___; questions ___; supervisor ___ . Hold points released: roof condition ___; access/edge/through-roof protection ___; notification review ___ . Final handover: ___ . A signed form cannot make an unsafe roof safe.
This page owns a roofing-specific NZ work sequence and form, distinct from the general height-work template, scaffold erection template, and UK roofing/RAMS pages. Targeted live search found no exact NZ Complys roofing task template; final current repository owner check remains. The verified Complys NZ host is a neutral link. The proposed /nz/risk-assessment-software route and software claims are gated on implementation evidence; no claim that Complys determines roof capacity or approves fall protection.
Primary sources reviewed 6 October 2026: WorkSafe current height guidance, roof guide with outdated-legislation caveat, scaffolding, notification list. Writer-side QA: no universal wind limit or five-metre safety threshold asserted; competent adaptation required. Disposition: READY subject to publication gate.