As a leader in roofing and cladding industry for over half a century, QBM developed Soter in the UK upon the growth of horizontal lifeline market. Engaging in activities as part of SFS Intec since 1996, QBM Soter reaches international markets with its new name SFS Soter.
Installed by certified teams and serviced annual maintenance by authorized dealers, the horizontal lifelines, which are all made of stainless steel, are under SFS Soter manufacturer warranty for 25 years.
Work in any place, including a place at or below ground level, is called “work at height” if there is a risk of injury in case a fall occurs ( April 6, 2005 / Work at Height Regulation/UK).
Lower limit of work at height varies by country, and is 1.80 m in Europe and 1.20 m in United States.
Falls from height in occupational accidents occurring while working at height is ranked at number two among all fatal cases in our country and worldwide right after motor vehicle accidents.
1.saniye sonunda yaklaşık 5 metre, 2. saniye sonunda yaklaşık 20 metre mesafe alınmaktadır. Bu mesafeler sonrası 1. saniye sonunda 35 km/saat ve 2. saniye sonunda 70 km/saat hıza ulaşılmaktadır.
The system which can be installed in all areas where there is a possibility that the personnel working at height may fall and which ensures that any personnel working with attached to such line will survive in case of a probable fall without any harm is called “horizontal lifeline”. Horizontal lifelines are designed to ensure uninterrupted safety of the personnel working at height in all conditions. Fixed to the roof using the anchors, the system prevents possible injuries by absorbing the sudden impact that the person is exposed to during any fall thanks to the shock absorbers.
Horizontal lifelines will not function properly unless the design is appropriate. All of the requirements must be completely identified and an appropriate design meeting such requirements is a must for proper installation of the line.
Application which may require horizontal lifeline:
Usage requirements must be properly identified prior to design. Typically, the following factors must be considered:
The answers of the foregoing questions are shared with the SFS Soter UK technical office for horizontal lifeline design.
Both design and installation are followed the guidelines laid out in BS 7883*.
*BS 7883; Code of practice for the design, selection, installation and maintenance of anchor devices conforming to BS EN 795.
The industry has gradually moved away from the fixed support anchors which are attached to the main structural purlins through roof cladding material over the last 30 years. Such fixed anchors are attached to the structural steel at 10 meter intervals. The waterproofing around the fixed anchors begins to deteriorate after years of thermal movement of the roof cladding material.
The problems caused by such thermal movements have ended the era of anchors fixed throughout the entire roof at standard intervals which cause damage on the roof cladding, and ensured that it is replaced with more flexible and user-friendly systems.
Nowadays, SFS Soter anchors are fixed to the outer skins of various roof surfaces at various thicknesses using custom rivets. Hence, allowing for functionality and added security for the user. System components should be tailored for each roof. Lifelines with improper selections have the risk of untested load which may cause serious damage to both the roof cladding and the personnel.
Exhaustive tests have proven that the stitching screws can be prone to stripping from thin outer sheets. Some may never get close to their designed “pull out” performance.
Fastaner performance is governed by:
Soter anchors are fixed on the top sheet of the sandwich panel using 7.7 mm diameter custom rivets (bulb-tite). Bulb-tite rivet tensile force is 6 times stronger than the screw and thus, attachment is possible using less rivets. EPDM sealing washer of the rivet ensures 100% water tightness.
Applicable on all kinds of prepainted galvanized steel or aluminum sandwich panels in various widths, number of ribs and cross-sections. Anchor link arm will not negatively affect the existing waterproofing because it is riveted on top of the rib.
The system is anchored to the membrane roofs on the steel construction with mechanical anchor using stainless steel toggle bolt and membrane system roofing on concrete with chemical anchor.
High rib standing seam roof claddings: The clamp used in the high rib standing seam roofing is easily and quickly installed. The affecting tensile load is minimized without drilling of the upper metal sheet by positioning the anchors under the top elevation of the ribs.
Anchors in various sizes are available where there is a risk of tripping and to make sure that the line is open.
The system is anchored to the roof using the attachments made over the rib without drilling of the upper metal.
SFS Soter horizontal lifelines are designed to provide uninterrupted safety for the personnel working at height in all kinds of conditions.
Our products and systems are tested in accordance with EN 795:2012 and CEN/TS 16415:2013 standards, and certified accordingly upon successfully passing such tests. The system is also Magenta ACR[M]002:2009-(Part2) certified.
*Magenta (Advisory Committee for Roofwork in the UK )
