Energy
Enpal and Würth create safety platform for solar roofs
German firms Enpal and Würth have developed a new system to enhance occupational safety during rooftop solar installations.
Key points
- The Roof Access Safety Transport System is designed for pitched roofs up to eight metres high.
- The equipment includes a mobile work platform, edge protection, fall protection, and a material lift.
- Testing was conducted with DGUV Test and German statutory accident insurance institutions.
What happened
German residential solar provider Enpal and component supplier Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG have introduced the Roof Access Safety Transport System (RAST). According to pv magazine, the collaborative project aims to boost workplace safety during photovoltaic array installations on pitched roofs.
The setup comprises a mobile access platform, edge guards, individual fall protection gear, anchor points, an emergency kit, and a material lift. The mobile platform is reportedly the first of its kind evaluated against the German DIN EN 13374 standard for temporary edge protection.
Certification and design
Evaluation of the equipment took place alongside DGUV Test, the certification division of German Social Accident Insurance. Technical contributions were provided by sector-specific accident insurance organisations BG ETEM and BG BAU.
Intended for buildings with eaves reaching up to eight metres, the system creates a scaffold-like environment along the roof edge. It permits workers to access the roof and hoist materials without relying on traditional ladders.
Würth product manager Martin Umminger noted in the source report that eliminating ladder use will noticeably decrease accident risks.
Deployment
Enpal plans to introduce the safety apparatus through training programmes at the Enpal Academy before incorporating it into regular deployment workflows.
Financial terms, including acquisition costs and investment figures, were not disclosed by the companies. It remains unconfirmed whether the technology will be made available to external installation firms.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
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Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
