CASE STUDY
ROOFING
SAFE AND SMART
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1 Offsite construction reduces the amount of work required ‘at height’ and improves overall project health and safety. Smartroof recently won the Best Health and Safety Product award at the 2018 Housebuilder Product Awards. Traditional room-in-roof construction is vulnerable to major risks caused by numerous factors including the erection of scaffolding and manual handling whilst working in confined spaces and with falling brickwork. In addition to these, there are risks involved in working at height on attic trusses or top-hats and purlins. This also means that the roof can take weeks to erect, insulate and make watertight. The Smartroof system has been designed and developed as an offsite product to overcome the challenges faced during roof construction. This way of rethinking roof construction delivers proven benefits in terms of thermal performance, consistent quality, speed of construction and most importantly health and safety benefits onsite. “Site safety is a major priority for Smartroof,” says Sean Og Coyle, Smartroof’s Managing Director. “So
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we are thrilled to have won the award for Best Health and Safety product. We have worked hard to develop a product that overcomes the health and safety risks associated with traditional roof construction and addresses the issues our customers face.” Offsite is a relatively new concept for many housebuilders so Smartroof’s focus is on establishing systems which take the exacting quality standards set in the factory and transferring them to the site during handling and installation. By engaging with the NHBC’s technical team, the company has identified the most important points in the construction process which should be validated for effective quality management, providing traceability and compliance with best installation practice. The first initiative is a detailed Customer Support Pack containing every detail required to manage and record an effective installation. This ensures that installation teams are fully briefed on the correct processes, guiding them to an energy efficient conclusion. The new Smartroof Customer Support Pack has been designed with housebuilders in mind. With each stage of the Smartroof process
WWW.OFFSITEMAGAZINE.CO.UK | MAY/JUNE 2018
being covered meticulously, from the call-off process right through to post-installation checks and after sales support, the Customer Pack gives support to the housebuilder throughout the entire process, ensuring the smooth running of delivery and installation of Smartroof products. In addition, a new mobile app is available as a companion to the Support Pack which allows the compliance reports to be completed on screen for convenience during installation rather than a paper form. The app will automatically update a database of site specific records so compliance reports are safe and secure. Designed for installation teams, the Smartroof app provides instant access to comprehensive product information – from utility tools to installation videos. With an intuitive interface, the Smartroof app offers technical data and product features across the entire Smartroof product range. The app also features YouTube-hosted ‘How To’ videos, illustrating the most practical application and best use of Smartroof products and materials. Most importantly, the app allows real-time correspondence with the internal sales support team, meaning reporting facilities are tightened and issues can be resolved instantaneously. The app is currently being rolled out across Smartroof installation teams including those from housebuilder customers who have been trained by technical experts to become Smartroof Registered Installers. For more information visit: www.smartroof.co.uk
Images: 01-02. Smartroof’s new mobile app is designed to give installation team’s instant access to comprehensive product information