FALL PROTECTION FOR LOW SLOPE ROOFERS USING RADIO WAVES

Abstract

The invention through its personal protective equipment (PPE) may warn the roof worker when that roofer moves beyond the setback selected from the exposed unprotected roofs edge, beyond which a fall causing injury or a fatality may occur. The PPE monitors each worker, keeping them back from the roofs edge according to OSHA fall standard 19260501b10. The transmitter keeps a log of the date and time incursions occur beyond the selected setback for each workers' PPE. This information is stored in a transmitter and downloaded via a smart phone APP created and coded by this new art and sent to management, insurer, and OSHA for safety compliance and production monitoring. The hardhat PPE offers additional safety protection.

Claims

1. A fall protection system for roof workers working on low-slope roofs, said system comprising: (a) an antenna, said antenna attached at an edge of the roof to be worked on by a plurality of roof workers; (b) a transmitter in communication with said antenna; (c) a personal protective equipment receiver; (d) both ends of said antenna attached to said transmitter, forming a loop or circuit at an outside edge of the roof; (e) a power source electrically connected to said transmitter, said transmitter sends broadcast waves through said antenna inward from said edge of the roof defining a fall danger zone for the roof work; (f) said personal protective equipment receiver is worn by the roof workers and receive individually said waves transmitted from said antenna; (g) said personal protective equipment receiver evaluates a signal strength from said transmitter and said antenna and determine if the roofer wearing said personal protective equipment receiver is in danger of a fall by being approximately ten feet or less from the roofs unprotective edge; and (h) said personal protective equipment receiver does not activate and issue any auditory warning or physical stimulus warning when the roofer is beyond approximately twelve feet from the roof's edge.

2. The fall protection system of claim 1 wherein said personal protective equipment receiver activates and issues said auditory warning consisting of an intermittent beep every two to three seconds that is of low pitch and low loudness when the roofer is at less than approximately twelve feet to approximately ten feet from the roof's unprotective edge.

3. The fall protection system of claim 1 wherein said personal protective equipment receiver activates and issues said auditory warning consisting of an intermittent approximately one beep every one to two seconds that is of higher pitch and louder when the roofer is between approximately one foot and three feet from the roof's unprotective edge and the fall danger is real.

4. The fall protection system of claim 1 wherein said personal protective equipment receiver activates and issues both said auditory warning consisting of an intermittent beep approximately one half to one second that is of highest pitch and loudest, in addition said physical stimulus warning is issued in the form of an electrical shock and or an uncomfortable vibration when the roofers are approximately three feet from the roof's unprotective edge and the fall danger is real and a fall could be imminent.

5. The fall protection system of claim 1 wherein said personal protective equipment receiver protects the roofers from falls by informing the roofers when the roofers are close to the fall danger zone but not yet in the fall danger zone, thereby warning the roofers of their location, should the roofers have forgotten their location and warning the roofers to stay out of the fall danger zone and that they are close to the fall danger zone; and when the roofers are in the fall danger zone either on purpose or inadvertently said personal protective equipment receiver warns the roofers with an auditory warning that becomes louder and more shrill and less intermittent the closer the roofers are to the roofs edge, until the roofers who are within approximately three feet of the roofs edge are given the physical stimulus warning which tells the roofers that the roofers are in imminent danger of a fall.

6. The fall protection system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter having a wire carrying an A.C. current alternating at a sub-broadcast band frequency approximately from 60 Hz.

7. The fall protection system of claim 1 wherein said transmitter having circuitry for developing and transmitting a signal through said antenna wire.

8. The fall protection system of claim 1 further comprises a monitoring unit for monitoring failures and potential failures of said loop antenna having a break therein, a low battery, and power failure, said monitoring unit actuates an audible alarm warning if said failure is detected.

9. The fall protection system of claim 1 further comprises a lightening arresting protection unit.

10. The fall protection system of claim 1 wherein said personal protective equipment receiver having three receiving antennas being generally orthogonally positioned; and switch receiver circuitry coupled to said three receiving antennas and selectively coupling, one at a time, ensuring if a signal strength of said antenna is available the said three receiving antenna pick up the signal regardless of the position of said personal protective equipment receiver on the worker wearing said personal protective equipment receiver.

11. The fall protection system of claim 1 wherein said personal protective equipment receivers having a microprocessor, said microprocessor having a receiver switch circuitry, signal strength circuitry, code detection circuitry, and motion sensor circuitry which cycles off and on at predetermined times to conserve energy.

12. A fall protection system for roof workers working on low slope roofs, said system comprising: (a) a transmitter; (b) a personal protective equipment receiver; (c) a smart phone with an application; (d) said personal protective equipment receiver gives auditory and physical stimuli warnings when a roofer is approximately twelve feet or less from the roofs unprotective edge where a fall could occur; (e) after said personal protective equipment receiver issues a warning to the roofer wearing said personal protective receiver, said transmitter stores the date, time and a personal protective equipment receiver identification number; (f) at an end of a workday a foreman of the roof workers uses said smart phone and said application to link with said transmitter and retrieve all the data from all of the roof workers said personal protective equipment receivers; (g) said smart phone sends said retrieved data to supervising and/or monitoring authorities; (h) the supervising and/or monitoring authorities are an employer, an insurer for the employer and/or OSHA; (i) with the data, the monitoring authorities analyze the performance of the plurality of roofers work from a safety perspective after a benchmark is established; (j) the supervisor evaluates overall safety performance of the plurality of the roofers as a whole and evaluates the safety performance of the individual roofer through said personal protective equipment receiver/identification number which may correspond to the individual roofer; (k) if the roof workers overall safety performance is below acceptable levels, the supervisor is informed and corrective action is taken; and (j) if one roofer is identified for poor safety performance, the supervisor is informed and takes corrective action to avert a future fall.

13. A fall protection system for roof workers working on low slope roofs, said system comprising: multiple GPS locaters arranged at all corners of a roofs edge and at a midpoint thereof, said locaters define an outer perimeter of the roof; a personal protection equipment receiver in communication with said locaters; and said personal protection equipment receiver transmits to said locaters and determines when the roof worker is within six or ten feet of the roofs perimeter, thereby actuating an alarm/warning to protect the worker from a potential fall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a view from above orthogonally of a representative low slope (less than 2/12 pitch) roof.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows the components of the fall protection apparatus.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a portion of the same roof in FIG. 1. It is a corner view or cross section of the roof.

[0046] FIG. 4 is the same picture of the roof as FIG. 3 except it has three roof workers in the figure. The location of the roof workers will show the fall protection apparatus performing its design function.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows two separate methodologies for one PPE receiver.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment of the fall protection system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0049] The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. There is no limiting sense of this invention when it is considered for use within the parameters of the roofer performing low slope roofing, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

[0050] Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally may provide a fall protection for roofers 36 working on low slope roofs 18 (less than 2/12 pitch). More specifically, a coated wire or cable 14 may be strung around a perimeter edge of the work area. The wire 14 is laid in such a continuous manner that a loop or circuit is formed. Completing the loop is a modified transmitter 12. The transmitter 12 completes the loop by connecting both ends of the coated wire 14 to the modified transmitter 12. Electromagnetic or radio waves 38 (AM type) may be transmitted from this modified transmitter 12 through the wire 14 also referred to as antenna wire.

[0051] A battery 10 that powers the transmitter 12 that produces the radio waves 38 or radio frequency (RF). The battery 10 can be replaced by a hard wired connection to the building's electrical system. The battery 10 can also be replaced by a portable electrical generator as a source of power. In some cases the battery 10 may be replaced by the transmitter 12 which has portable batteries for self powering.

[0052] The transmitter 12 produces the electromagnetic, FM and/or AM radio waves 38 at a low frequency level. The transmitter 12 may encode them, modulate the waves, and issue them in pulses to both save energy and make those RF differentiated from other omnipresent RF out in the environment. The transmitter 12 may also have a lightening arrestor included to protect the apparatus. The transmitter 12 may have a storage area for data that it stores when one of the receivers issues a warning. The date, time and receiver number of the warning are transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter 12 for storage. That information is readily transferred to a specialized smart phone app that downloads the information to the phone which sends it out to the supervising entity.

[0053] An antenna wire 14 is affixed to one outgoing terminal of the transmitter 12. The antenna wire 14 is run in one continuous length around the perimeter edge of the roof 18. The other end of the antenna wire 14 is connected to the incoming terminal of the transmitter 12. This connection completes the circuit and loop that establishes perimeter protection for the roofer while he is working on a specific roof 18.

[0054] Metal clips 16 hold the antenna wire 14 at a perimeter edge of the roof. They typically will be installed every five to ten feet on center to establish the integrity of the safety system. The clips 16 keep the antenna wire 14 in the correct position at the edge of the roof 18. The fasteners and wire clips 16 for the antenna wire 14 may hold the wire 14 in place while the roofing project is being installed. The fasteners 16 may hold the wire 14 in its installed position at the edge of the roof 18.

[0055] The elevation as shown in FIG. 1 portrays the safety hazard which is a potential fall when roofing crews are doing work on the building. The top left corner shows a shadow figure representative of a roof worker 36 at the onset of a fall from the unprotected edge of the roof 18. The unprotected edge is the main safety hazard of roof workers 36. The area in the middle of the roof 18 is a safe working area, as deemed by OSHA, in that it is either six feet set back but most probably ten feet set back when mechanical equipment is used, back from the roofs unprotected edge. This is delineated by the dashed line. The area outside of the dashed line is the area that requires a separate set of fall protection guidelines as promulgated by OSHA. This area for the purposes of this application is the fall danger zone (FDZ) 32. The safety requirements of OSHA when working in the fall danger zone 32 are not considered here. The object of the invention is to keep the roof workers in the safe work area and warn the roof workers when they stray either purposely or inadvertently into the FDZ 32. The edge of the roof 18 is where there is danger of workers 36 falling. The edge of the roof 18 is fall danger to the roof worker 36 and is commonly referred to in safety circles as the unprotected edge. The edge of the roof 18, unless it is above forty two inches high from roof level, is considered an unprotected edge and a fall danger to roof workers 36 by most agencies around the world including OSHA. The installation of the antenna wire 14 at the outer perimeter of the roof 18 with the broadcasting transmitter 12 may allow the system to set up a safe working area for the roof workers 36. The modified transmitter 12 has to have power to accomplish this by broadcasting its signal. There may be on average five hundred lineal feet of antenna wire 14 to broadcast the signal 38 thru the antenna wire 14 on the average roof project. The modified transmitter 12 may have its own battery pack to provide the power to accomplish this task of broadcasting. The modified transmitter 12 may be hard wired to the building existing electrical system as another means of powering the modified transmitter 12. The modified transmitter 12 may use an external battery 10 or a powered generator as other sources of power from which to broadcast its signal 38 through the antenna wire circuit or loop 14. The modified transmitter 12 broadcasting its signal 38 with its circuit or loop of antenna wire 14 is what defines all fall danger zone (FDZ) 32. One of the several selected setting of the modified transmitter 12 may establish both an approved FCC frequency and a specific power setting. Combined the frequency and power setting will establish the fall danger zone (FDZ) 32. This is the area that it is unsafe for the roof worker 36 to be without a non-working human safety monitor observing him to ensure that his work does not put him in danger of falling off from the roofs edge. The roof worker 36 is allowed to work unsupervised as long as that worker is at least ten feet from the roofs edge by current OSHA safety standards. The settings on the modified transmitter 12 each establish a FDZ 32 a specific distance from the roofs edge. Each setting of the broadcasting transmitter 12 complies with the safety requirements of OSHA given specific conditions. The compliance with OSHA's specific safety requirements is accomplished by a signal strength of the broadcasting transmitter 12 being translated into specific distances from the roofs edge where the danger of falls is most prevalent. The specific distances established are either six or ten feet from the roof's edge. The transmitter 12 allows for a choice between establishing a fall danger zone either six or ten feet from the roofs edge. Where the antenna wire 14 is the conduit for the broadcasting transmitter 12 establishes the fall danger zone (FDZ) 32. The width of the zone will either be six or ten feet back from the roofs edge depending on the setting selected.

[0056] The transmitter 12 may send the radio waves 38 through the cable or wire 14 activating the fall protection system. The waves 38 may be produced at a specific range that other components may receive, such as but not limited to an A.C. current alternating at a sub-broadcast band frequency or from approximately 60 Hz. The transmitter 12 may be in a waterproof durable case 34 to protect it from the elements and the roof installation process. The transmitter 12 may have an alarm that may notify the crew if power is lost or interrupted. The transmitter 12 may receive its electrical power from a battery 10, a generator, the building's existing power supply or from batteries within the unit itself. The transmitter 12 may have circuits which create and transmit through the antenna wire 14, predetermined frequencies, frequency modulations, amplitude modulations, random and non-random codes within the radio waves, electromagnetic modulations, and/or pulse transmissions.

[0057] The vertical dotted line shown in FIG. 3 is a ten foot set back. The OSHA required set back is the demarcation between what is considered a safe area to perform roof work without fall arrest equipment termed the safe zone and the area where there is danger of a fall occurring if that worker is not wearing fall arrest equipment, termed the fall danger zone (FDZ) 32. At the edge of the roof 18 the antenna wire 14 is shown to be held in place at the roofs edge by a metal clip 16. The operational antenna 14 is broadcasting its signal through radio waves represented by the drawing. The roof worker is in the safe zone and is wearing both pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE), the PPE hardhat receiver 20 and the PPE wristband receiver 26.

[0058] A first personal protective equipment (PPE) receiver 20 which is a hard hat 22 with a receiver 24 mounted to the exterior or interior of the hard hat 20. That PPE receiver 20 may instantly and continuously process the signal strength of the broadcast antenna. The PPE receiver 20 may equate the signal strength to a distance from the roofs edge where the antenna 14 and transmitter 12 are broadcasting from. The receiver 24 is set to warn the roofer when he is close to a specific distance or setback from the roofs unprotected edge. The PPE hard hat 22 has two settings, one a six foot setback limit and the other a ten foot setback limit. The worker 36 when he inadvertently encroaches to the limit or past it may have the receiver issue an auditory warning that the worker 36 has been trained to recognize. The warnings are intermittent beeps that get louder and shriller and less intermittent the closer that roofer 36 strays to the roofs unprotected edge. This warning reminds the worker of the hazardous position he is in thereby preventing an inadvertent fall.

[0059] A second personal protective equipment (PPE) receiver 26 which is a wristband that has a receiver mounted within. The second PPE receiver 26 may instantly and continuously process the signal strength of the transmitter 12 broadcast. It may equate the signal strength to a distance from the roofs edge where the antenna 14 and transmitter 12 are broadcasting from. The receiver 26 is set to warn the roofer when he is close to a specific distance or setback from the roofs unprotected edge. The second PPE wristband 26 has no adjustable settings. It is programmed to issue its warning when the wearer is within three feet of the roofs unprotected edge. Its warning is an uncomfortable vibration or an electrical adverse stimulus to warn the roof worker of a potential fall due to his close location to the roofs edge.

[0060] The PPE 20, 26 may have a receiver 24 designed to pick up the transmitted radio waves 38 at a specific frequency from the transmitter 12. The receiver 24 may calculate the distance the PPE 20, 26 is from the wire 14 transmitting these specific radio frequencies. The calculations may be on the basis of the strength of the received signal 38. A preset distance of a number of feet, yards or meters may activate the received warning. In the case of the hard hat PPE 20, an auditory warning may issue. In the case of a wrist band system 26, a sensory warning may be emitted via vibration or electrical warning. Receipts of these pre-learned warnings may inform the worker 36 that he or she is at or in the fall danger zone 32. So informed the roof worker 36 may take precautions to avert the hazard by retreating to the safe area. An accidental fall may be averted.

[0061] Included elements in this invention may be considered an improvement. Housed within the transmitter 12 may be a data collection center 34 for each PPE 20, 26 being used at the time. The data collection center 34 may track the time when the individual PPE 20, 26 is turned on and tested for its fall protection reliability. Incursions into the fall danger zone (FDZ) 32 or hazard zone may be recorded by the time the date and by the individual PPE device 20, 26. The transmitter 12 may use an app downloaded to a smart phone. From the smart phone the information for that day's work may be sent to the employer, the insurer of the employer and/or OSHA. This may allow the data to be compiled and monitored so the safety of the roofing operation and each individual worker 36 may be evaluated. The employer of the worker, insurer of the company employing the worker 36 and OSHA could monitor that day's data. The PPE 20,26 may be modified so that worker 36 resistance to wearing the PPE 20,26 would be virtually impossible as the PPE 20,26 may be able to determine if a human is actually wearing the particular PPE 20,26.

[0062] A typical low slope roof crew would vary between five and fifteen roof workers 36. Each roof worker would wear at least one possibly two PPE receivers 20, 26. Each receiver may perform a recording function as described and will send the data to the broadcasting transmitter 12. The broadcasting transmitter 12 may store that data. The first operation 28 of the methodology exhibits how one incursion to the FDZ is recorded for that one roof worker. The data of the incursion is captured and preserved by its being sent to the broadcasting transmitter 12. The second operation 30 has the roof supervisor at the end of the day using a smart phone to collect that information from the broadcasting transmitter 12 and sending it to the supervising entity.

[0063] In operation, the boundaries of the roof area are put in place by the installation of the antenna wire 14 or cable. The antenna wire 14 may be held in temporary or permanent place by the fasteners 16. The antenna wire 14 may be hooked up to a transmitter 12 which sends a specific set of radio waves 38 through the antenna wire 14. The antenna wire 14 may emit the radio waves 38 once an outside power source is established. The roof installers may wear the PPE hard hat receiver 20 and/or a PPE wrist band receiver 26. The PPE 20, 26 may pick up a transmitted frequency and continually calculate where the wearer of this equipment is in relationship to the edge of the roof 18. When the wearer is within a fixed (or variable) distance of the edge, a warning is issued either auditory and/or sensory. This may tell the roof installer 36 that he or she is in or approaching the hazard or fall danger zone 32.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 1, roof worker A is twelve feet from the perimeter of the roofs edge. Roof worker A is in no danger of a fall yet. Roof worker A is close, within two feet of being in what OSHA considers to be at risk of a fall occurring. For now, roof worker A is safe, but that could change momentarily. The PPE hard hat receiver 24 processes the signal from the broadcasting antenna 14 and verifies that roof worker A is twelve feet from the roofs edge. A lazy intermittent soft low pitch auditory warning is issued by the PPE hardhat receiver 24 to roof worker A every two to three seconds. By previous training roof worker A is aware that he is safe from a fall, but he is close to the area where he will not be safe. The reminder to roof worker A about his approximate location is received and understood in case that roof worker was preoccupied with the job at hand or forgot his relative location to the roofs edge. The PPE hardhat receiver 24 does not record this event as there was no incursion into the FDZ 32.

[0065] Also shown in FIG. 4, roof worker B is in the fall danger zone from six to less than ten feet away from the roofs edge. The PPE hardhat receiver 24 has processed the signal strength from the broadcasting antenna 14 and has calculated and verified instantaneously that roof worker B is in the fall danger zone (FDZ) 32 and is six to less than ten feet away from roofs edge. The PPE hardhat receiver 24 issues an auditory warning beep every one second which is louder and more shrill due to roof worker B being in relative danger of having a fall occur. Roof worker B by training knows he is in the fall danger zone 32 if he did not before and is closer to the edge than he should be. If roof worker B was unaware he has been reminded and roof worker B should retreat to a safer distance or don proper fall arresting equipment. The PPE hardhat receiver 24 records this event as there was an incursion into the FDZ 32.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 4, roof worker C is less than three feet away from the roofs edge and is in the FDZ 32. The PPE hardhat 20 has processed and verified location and is giving roof worker C a near continuous loud shrill auditory warning. His training makes roof worker C aware that the threat of a fall is real and imminent. To further reinforce the seriousness of the potential fall the PPE wristband receiver 26 which has performed the same calculations and verified the close distance to a fall issues it warning. The PPE wristband receiver 26 issues a mild electrical shock and/or an uncomfortable vibration. Roof worker C due to his training is aware that a fall could occur and retreats to the safe area or puts on fall arrest equipment. The PPE hardhat receiver 24 records this event as there was an incursion into the FDZ. The PPE wristband receiver 26 records this event as there was an incursion into the FDZ.

[0067] The emitted signal 38 may be measured by the receiver 20, 26 also called the Personal Protective Equipment or PPE. The intensity level of the signal 38 may be the threshold that trips or begins the warning, which is usually first an auditory or sensory warning. The antenna wire 14 establishes the area. The transmitter 12 may activate the warning system. The receiver 20, 26 may determine when the wearer's movements have placed him within ten feet of the building's edge. That area may be the hazard zone or the fall danger zone 32. The wearer may be warned. The system may be assembled by configuring the wire or cable 14 to the shape size and boundaries edge of the roof 18. The clips 16 used may be based on the type of edge to hold the wire 14 in place for the duration of the roofing project and keep the integrity of the perimeter. The transmitter 12 may be connected to the cable or wire 14. The transmitter 12 may be connected to a power source 10, either the buildings power or a generator.

[0068] Each worker should wear an auditory receiver and a sensory receiver. The receivers 20, 26 may be set on the same frequency as the transmitter 12. The auditory and sensory receiver should have a preset threshold where signal strength corresponds to one of two set specific distances either six or ten feet. In this described case, ten feet in from the wire or cable 14 is the described distance. The threshold has to be calibrated exactly to achieve the proper distance and signal strength. Once the threshold is reached the receivers 20, 26 should trigger the warning. The intensity of the auditory warnings and sensory warnings will increase after the initial warning if the wearer of this PPE 20, 26 does not heed the warnings and retreat to a distance greater than the threshold settings of ten or six feet. The auditory warnings will become louder, more shrill and less intermittent the closer to the roof's edge the wearer of this PPE 20, 26 is.

[0069] In the case of the receiver wristband PPE 26 an uncomfortable vibration distinctive to be felt should be given to the wearer of the wristband and/or a mild electrical shock. This may occur when the signal intensity is such that the roof worker 36 is at or within three feet of the roofs unprotected edge.

[0070] The same is true of the auditory hardhat 20. The warning, depending on the culture may issue a verbal order in a particular language to stop moving. Alternatively, it could be a warning signal. The warning signal may be intermittent and lower tone when the roof worker is twelve feet back from the perimeter which is just two feet from the FDZ 32. The warning may remind the roofer 36 that he is close to the FDZ 32. If the roofer 36 strays into the FDZ 32 the beeps may get less intermittent and louder and more shrill the longer and/or closer that roof worker 36 gets to the root's unprotected edge.

[0071] The system may be reconfigured, as shown in FIG. 6, using GPS in real time as the calculation time and error function are reduced. Multiple GPS locaters 40 may be arranged at all corners of the roof's edge and at a midpoint acting as satellites but defining the outer perimeter of the roofs perimeter, the PPE equipment 20, 26 may be transmitters to the satellites and may determine when the roof worker 36 wearing a PPE 20, 26 is within six or ten feet of the roof's perimeter thereby actuating an alarm/warning protecting that worker 36 from a potential fall and preventing injury and death by stopping an outcome that may occur soon. The GPS may have to be more accurate and quicker in reporting calculated distances. Once the multiple GPS locaters 40 are in place, their location can be determined. A triangulation of these locaters 40 with the PPE hardhat 20 may allow an exact accurate location to the edge of the roof 18.

[0072] It should be understood that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. The foregoing relates specifically to working on a low sloped roof (less than 2/12 pitch).