A skylight in a flat commercial roof is a fall hazard. From below it is a source of light. From above, to a worker walking the roof, it can look like solid roofing, until it is not. Cal/OSHA treats skylights as openings that have to be guarded, and a fall through one is often fatal. Skylight fall protection is how you meet that requirement and protect the people on your roof.
The requirement, in plain terms
Workers on a commercial roof have to be protected from falling through skylights. In practice that means skylights need a guarding solution, a screen or railing system rated to hold a worker who falls or steps onto them. A skylight that just has the dome and nothing else does not meet that bar, no matter how sturdy the dome looks. Plastic domes are not fall protection.
What we install
- Skylight screens, metal screens mounted over or around the skylight, rated to arrest a fall while still letting light through.
- Guard railing around skylights or roof openings where that is the better fit.
- Replacement units with integrated protection where it makes sense to solve the skylight and the fall hazard together.
Why building owners call: Usually it is a safety audit, an insurance requirement, or a near-miss that surfaces it. The cost of compliant screens is small next to the liability of an unguarded skylight and a worker on the roof.
What it typically costs
Roughly $300 to $600 per unit, depending on quantity and the curb situation. If we are installing screens or bars on open, empty curbs, it is on the lower end. Often, though, the job involves removing the existing skylights first, installing the screens or bars, and reinstalling the skylights, which puts it on the higher end. We will give you the real number once we have seen the roof.
How it goes
Call us about your roof. We come look at the skylights and openings, recommend screens or railing rated for the job, and give you an estimate. We can often handle a whole roof’s worth of skylights in one visit.