Ottawa Medical Centre

For more than one hundred years, The Royal has been a community landmark and a beacon of hope for those needing health care. In February 1910, the first tuberculosis patient was admitted to the Lady Grey Hospital, known in the early days as “the San”. In 1969, the facility was renamed the Royal Ottawa Hospital (ROH).

Reviewing Roof Hazards

Like any medical center, the roof of the ROH is crowded with multiple rooftop units that make it challenging to navigate the roof safely. On this roof, the HVAC units were installed towards the center of the rooftop, more than 6 feet away from the edge. With the various gas lines, ducts and other RTUs, the only passage from the roof access point to the HVAC units was a walkway close to the edge of the roof. With the HVAC units requiring routine maintenance, the 50-foot catwalk located adjacent to the roof edge became quite busy with maintenance personnel. With the catwalk being too close to the roof’s edge, a safety barrier and guardrail were specified by the contractor.

An Upgraded Rooftop Catwalk System

The contractor working on repairing sections of the roof reached out to our team of rooftop safety compliance experts to learn how a permanent, yet non-fixed, guardrail solution can be installed. The RoofBarrier 5001 Series is a self-ballasted permanent rooftop guardrail that is non-penetrating. With the galvanized steel safety rail system not requiring any penetration of the roof membrane, no further repairs to the roof would be needed. Ultimately, saving time and money for both the contractor and the Royal Ottawa Hospital. Our guardrail systems are also shipped in prefabricated modular sections, creating an efficient and quick installation with no on-site welding, further reducing on-site labor and installation costs.