Roof Hatches to Keep Your School Building Safe

Millions of children around the world attend school every day. With the number of students, there is never enough staff to watch their every move. That's where safety features come into play in the design of the building itself.

If you're a contractor working on a school building, it's crucial to ensure that every part of the building is safe. One area of the building where safety needs specific attention is the roof. Although students are usually not authorized to access the roof, accidents can happen without careful planning. Finding the right roof hatch with security and safety features is a great place to start.

The Right Roof Hatch for School Building

In most cases, only maintenance personnel have reason to need access to the roof of a school. A roof hatch allows safe and convenient access to do maintenance on the roof, getting rid of leaves and debris types, and also to move equipment or fix the HVAC system. Even if it's not maintenance personnel using the roof hatch, the roof hatch still needs to ensure that anyone can pass through it without any complications.

Here are some of the best roof hatch options you can choose to install in a school building:

Steel Roof Hatches

A steel roof hatch is the most common type used in commercial buildings. With heavy-duty steel construction, these hatches can withstand harmful exterior elements and foot traffic. Steel roof hatches always have weather gaskets, corrosion-resistant coating, and sturdy handles. The steel roof hatch is durable and used in any climate.

What makes the steel roof hatch safe are the latches, preventing unauthorized personnel from entering the roof. Choose a secure locking mechanism when purchasing a steel roof hatch to ensure the roof hatch stays completely shut.

Aluminum Roof Hatches

An aluminum roof hatch looks the same as a steel roof hatch but is much lighter. These roof hatches typically have a galvanized aluminum coating that increases durability.

Service Stair Access Roof Hatch

A service stair roof hatch is much broader than a standard steel or aluminum product, and it gives you easier access to the roof. As well, it uses stairs instead of a usual ladder. Instead of a 90-degree angle ladder, there is a set of stairs that maintenance and other school personnel can use.

Ship Stair Access Roof Hatch

Don't have enough room to use a service stair? Look no further because you have the option to choose a ship stair roof hatch with climbing angles between 50 and 70 degrees. This option is perfect for smaller spaces.

Ladder Access Roof Hatch

Using a steel ladder that's not connected to the roof hatch is dangerous. Choosing a ladder access roof hatch in compliance with OSHA roof hatch safety requirements is another way to keep your school building safe.

Follow Roof Hatch Requirements

Before installing a roof hatch in your school building, make sure you are up to date with OSHA roof hatch safety requirements. In this way, you can better prevent accidents from occurring.

A good tip is to get a safety ladder extension to meet the requirements. As mentioned a while ago, it's also a good idea to install railings to increase safety around the roof hatch further.

Our roof hatches provide both safety and convenience. Ask us about extra safety features you can add, including railings.

Keep your school building, staff, and students safe by following all building codes and regulations. Best Roof Hatches can assist you in choosing the right product for your next project. Give us a call - we're here to help!