| Winter Safety Alert |
In commercial buildings, it is not uncommon for HVAC equipment to be located on the rooftop. Consequently, maintenance workers must visit the roof to service the equipment in all types of weather conditions.
Frost, dew, and ice are more likely to form on white membranes and are difficult to see, creating the potential for slip and fall hazards. Plastic-based white membranes can be slippery when wet, which can be especially daunting on sloped roofs without a protective parapet wall around the perimeter. Roofers are aware of this hazard; however, building owners and their facilities crews may not be aware, which can lead to unnecessary accidents.
Black or dark grey colored membranes, on the other hand, begin melting snow and ice once they're exposed to the sun, helping the roof's surface dry off faster and making it safer for maintenance personnel. Rubber membranes are by nature less slippery than plastic-based membranes.
White roofs are also more prone to snow and ice accumulation. On sloped roofs, this can create "avalanche" slides that can crash down on lower roofs, landscaping, and anything else located close to the building. In the case of a 216,000-square-foot warehouse in St. Louis, MO, snow and ice pack movement was enough to dislodge gas lines running across a white roof, as pictured above. We recently re-roofed our insulation manufacturing facility in Tooele, UT, replacing aged white TPO with a black EPDM roof to reduce the snow and ice load on the building.
In closing, you can use a dark roof color to your advantage in central and northern climates to create safer working conditions for your maintenance people and to reduce the accumulation of snow and ice over the course of the winter.
To learn more visit www.carlislesyntec.com.
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