Fall protection device for greenhouse roofs and elevated structures

Abstract

A fall protection device for greenhouse roofs and elevated structures, characterized in that it comprises a metallic safety net (1) located below the roof (2) of the structure and fixed to the structure at several equidistant fixing points (3), such that the maximum distance (D1) between the roof (2) and the safety net (1) is less than or equal to 50 cm.

Description

Fall protection device for greenhouse roofs and elevated structures Technical field of the invention The present invention corresponds to the technical field of construction, specifically to occupational safety systems for workers in work at heights such as work on greenhouse roofs and other elevated constructions. Background of the Invention Currently, in the construction of greenhouses or similar structures, safety nets made of synthetic materials are used. These nets are designed to intercept a potential fall by a worker performing tasks on the roof of the structure and are complementary to a safety system consisting of lifelines to which the worker attaches themselves as they move around the roof of the structure via a harness. The fall protection nets of these safety systems are located at a distance of two meters from their position to the plastic that serves as the roof of the greenhouse and must be removed once the work on the greenhouse roof has been completed because they do not allow adequate access of sunlight to the plants inside the greenhouse, so the lighting does not arrive in optimal conditions. Furthermore, another reason for having to remove these nets is that they are made of synthetic materials, which means they typically have a very short lifespan, at most four years, provided the corresponding annual inspections are carried out. A worker falling from a height of two meters onto the fall protection net places a significant stress on it, making it crucial that it is in perfect condition. Furthermore, the safety method consisting of using harness-based lifelines is not at all comfortable for the worker performing tasks on the building's roof. The operator must drag the harness attachment and at certain times needs to change its connection to a different lifeline as they move along the structure. This also limits the worker's ability to work, as the lifeline designs have different mounting requirements depending on the work area, and in many cases, it is impossible to perform a proper installation that guarantees optimal effectiveness in meeting safety and functional requirements compatible with the greenhouse structure. All of this results in a much slower worker performance. On the other hand, with the current system there is a maximum limit of operators who can use the same lifeline according to the design, which significantly hinders maintenance work or changing the plastic covering of the building, for which it is necessary to have several operators to carry out the work on each line. It is clear that all these drawbacks result in a reduction in both productivity and the effectiveness of the work, as well as in the safety of the operators. Description of the invention The fall protection device for greenhouse roofs and elevated constructions, presented herein, comprises a metal safety net located below the roof of the construction and fixed to the structure at several points spaced and equidistant from each other, such that the maximum distance between the roof and the safety net is less than or equal to 50 cm. The fall protection device proposed here represents a significant improvement over the state of the art. This is because it achieves a substantial improvement in the occupational safety of workers who carry out their activity on greenhouse roofs or similar constructions, since this device is placed very close to the transit area of ​​the operators, so that possible injuries are reduced in the event of a fall. Furthermore, since there is not a large distance between the safety net and the ceiling where the operators are located, in the event of a fall, the stress that the net must withstand due to a fall from a distance above it is much reduced. This device allows for quick and economical placement with a long lifespan, which promotes the natural growth of the planted product, without the need to replace it with a new one. A major advantage is that, since the operator is safer from an accidental fall, it is not necessary for them to work with lifelines that hinder the tasks, being able to move around the roof of the building without the need for a lifeline, developing optimal productivity in their maintenance work, since the number of operators that is necessary in each case can move around, with the assurance that they will be able to carry out their work without suffering absences due to a work accident. This allows for a significant increase in effectiveness and productivity. It is important to highlight another great advantage of this device, because by placing the safety net so high, very close to the roof, it does not pose an obstacle to the passage of light, so the plants receive the light necessary for their natural growth. It is therefore a very effective fall protection device for greenhouse roofs and high buildings, with which it is possible to significantly increase the safety of the operators, preventing the worker from suffering serious injuries in the event of an accidental fall, and at the same time allowing proper sunlight to reach the crops inside the greenhouse. Brief description of the drawings In order to aid a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, a series of drawings are provided as an integral part of this description, where, for illustrative and non-limiting purposes, the following has been represented: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a greenhouse with a fall protection device on greenhouse roofs and elevated constructions, for a first preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 shows a view of detail A from Figure 1. Figure 3 shows a view of detail B from Figure 1. Figure 4 shows an elevation view of a greenhouse with a fall protection device on greenhouse roofs and elevated constructions, for a second preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 shows a view of detail A of Figure 1 adapted to the case of a second preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 6 shows a view of detail C from Figure 4. Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention In view of the figures provided, it can be observed how in a first preferred embodiment of the invention, the fall protection device for greenhouse roofs and elevated constructions proposed herein comprises a metallic safety net (1) located below the roof of the construction, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and fixed to the structure at several points spaced and equidistant from each other, such that the maximum distance (D1) between the roof and the safety net (1) is less than or equal to 50 cm. In this first preferred embodiment of the invention, the maximum distance (D1) between the roof (2) and the safety net (1) is less than or equal to 30 cm. In this case, the roof is formed by arches and a plastic cover (4). Figure 1 also shows the ventilation windows (6), with the insect screen (7). Thus, the safety net (1) is attached to the structure by means of firm fixings at several fixing points (3) of the structure and at a sufficient distance so that in case of a fall of an operator the safety net (1) behaves with a certain elasticity to cushion the fall and prevent any type of injury to the worker. In this first embodiment, the minimum distance (D2) between the ceiling (2) and the safety net (1) is greater than or equal to 6 cm. The distance between the safety net (1) and the ceiling (2) will depend on the type of structure in which it is to be placed, but always complying at least with the maximum distance limitation (D1) between them, which is shown in Figure 3. In this first preferred embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the safety net (1) is fixed at three fixing points (3) on each arch of the roof (2), but in other embodiments it can be fixed with a different number of fixing points (3) depending on the type of roof the greenhouse has. Furthermore, it is necessary to assess the optimal number of fixing points (3) in each case, evaluating a number that ensures a correct and secure fixing of the safety net (1) and at the same time, that is adequate so that it does not entail an excessive economic cost and at the same time offers a correct capacity of the impact of the operator in case of a fall, since this absorption is reduced with the increase of fixings. In this first embodiment, the safety net (1) forms a grid whose squares or rectangles have a maximum size of 20x30 cm and a minimum size of 8x8 cm. The final size is determined based on the amount of shade the crop can tolerate. In a second preferred embodiment, shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the device comprises a walkable metallic reinforcing net (5) located between the safety net (1) and the roof of the building, such that the maximum distance (D3) between the roof (2) and the reinforcing net (5), as shown in Figure 6, is less than or equal to 20 cm. For clarity, the safety net (1) is drawn with dashed lines and the reinforcing net (5) with solid lines. This reinforcement net (5), in this second embodiment, forms a grid whose squares are smaller than or equal to the squares of the safety net (1). It is best to use a smaller grid than the safety net (1) to ensure safer footing for the worker, as this reinforcement net is installed so that the worker can walk on it safely and comfortably, as shown in Figure 4, and perform their assigned tasks with freedom of movement on the roof.

Claims

1. A fall protection device for greenhouse roofs and elevated structures, characterized in that it comprises a metallic safety net (1) located below the roof (2) of the structure and fixed to the structure at several equidistant fixing points (3), such that the maximum distance (D1) between the roof (2) and the safety net (1) is less than or equal to 50 cm.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the maximum distance (D1) between the roof (2) and the safety net (1) is less than or equal to 30 cm.

3. A device according to any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the minimum distance (D2) between the roof (2) and the safety net (1) is greater than or equal to 6 cm.

4. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the safety net (1) forms a grid whose squares have a maximum dimension of 20x30 cm and a minimum dimension of 8x8 cm. 5.Device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a walkable metallic reinforcement net (5) located between the safety net (1) and the roof (2) of the structure, such that the maximum distance (D3) between the roof (2) and the reinforcement net (5) is less than or equal to 20 cm.

6. Device according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcement net (5) forms a grid whose squares have a size less than or equal to the squares of the safety net (1).