When working in a loft space or organising your loft, it is important to have the right safety features in place to ensure your space is safe and fit for use. Injuries can occur from either falling from a height or tripping over a safety hazard, highlighting the need for suitable precautions to ensure extra protection.
If you are thinking about taking on a loft project, you need to have a set plan ready for when you decide to start work. In this article, we cover all the safety features you should install when working in a loft space or when planning on utilising your loft more frequently.
Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
Have you ever heard the age-old adage, fail to prepare, prepare to fail? Before setting foot into your loft, there are an array of preparations to help improve overall safety when working in a loft space. It is advised to keep a clear route to allow access, as well as for popping up and down from the loft and avoiding any blockages getting in the way.
Due to some lofts having loose floor insulation, their particles and dust can irritate and cause harm to your breathing if they get into your lungs. To avoid this, protective clothing is recommended, based on what work you will be doing, such as solid shoes so nothing heavy can damage your feet, long-sleeved tops, and long trousers to avoid scratching yourself on any loose items and equipping yourself with some gloves and goggles/eye protection.
Make sure that when you enter your loft, you have someone helping you and giving you an extra pair of hands. Especially if you are using a ladder that is not (yet) fixed to the loft, just to be more stable and hold it steady. Now that you have prepared to begin work, it’s time to consider the features that will ensure your loft remains safe for continued use over long periods or by others who haven’t taken the necessary preparations mentioned above.
Loft safety improvements
As well as the preparations above, there is a range of permanent features and loft safety improvements you can make to make the whole space a lot safer.
Sufficient lighting
The first improvement is to ensure that as soon as you enter your loft, it is well-lit and has sufficient lighting to cover the spaces you are working within. If you are working in complete darkness, it will be harder to see hazards around you, such as items at head height, poorly boarded flooring and trip hazards.
There are multiple ways of improving visibility in your loft, such as using a handheld or head torch to light up specific spaces. However, these options restrict the amount of light across the whole space, requiring some human operation and movement when working on different areas of your loft space. At LoftZone, we have the perfect loft lighting solutions – our LED loft lights with both wired and wireless options available.
When installing our LED loft lights, you will notice multiple benefits, including the obvious illumination advantages, but also improved energy efficiency and reduced energy consumption.
Additionally, our lighting products provide outstanding light capabilities, with our wired-in options delivering 4,400 lumens of light per LED batten lamp, ensuring your entire loft area will become lighter, brighter and safer. We also have motion-sensored, rechargeable and wireless lighting options.
Strong & reliable loft flooring
Another loft safety improvement essential for all loft spaces is a reliable flooring system. It is common for many lofts to have unboarded floorings, leaving exposed insulation and dysfunctional walkways, causing numerous additional safety issues.
You must ensure that you have a strong, safe, and functional flooring system in place to ensure you have space to work with and sufficient space for your storage needs. Giving yourself a large workspace will make it feel more organised, keep you safe and minimise the likelihood of accidents occuring. Our StoreFloor is one of the strongest and most reliable raised loft flooring systems on the market, helping you to protect your insulation and implement solid foundations for your loft-centred needs.
Adequate loft storage
Implementing adequate loft storage can massively improve your loft’s safety by removing clutter and providing functional storage space for items to remove trip hazards. At LoftZone, we have a range of loft storage products, including our revolutionary TrussShelf, which seamlessly slots in between your roof trusses, making use of before-wasted space.
We have wooden and metal TrussShelf options, allowing you to choose the finish that suits you best, both delivering outstanding performance and long-lasting durability. Whether working in a loft space as part of a hobby or simply to store items you won’t need for a while, our loft shelving solutions provide ample storage space and reliability to keep your belongings protected.
How we can help you
Due to our award-winning StoreFloor raised loft boarding system, we can make sure that your insulation has the breathing space it needs whilst installing flooring into your loft. Additionally, the StoreFloor has outstanding strength, increasing the number of items your loft can hold.
It’s vital to always be aware of your surroundings and ensure your safety when working in a loft space, especially if not well-lit and properly boarded. If you are looking to increase the storage space in your loft, then get in contact with us and give us a call on 01483 600 304 or drop us a message at sales@loftzone.com.