Roof anchor rules in New Brunswick, in plain language
If people tie off on your roof in New Brunswick, the anchors they tie off to have to be inspected and recertified on a fixed cycle. This page sets out what that means in practice for the person who owns or runs the building.
Before you read on
Whose problem it is
If your building has roof anchors, davit bases, horizontal lifelines or any permanent fall-arrest system, responsibility for keeping it certified sits with the building owner or the employer directing the work.
The practical effect of letting it lapse is immediate rather than theoretical. An anchor that is out of certification is treated as an anchor that cannot be used, so window cleaners, roofers, sign installers and HVAC crews cannot tie off, and the work stops.
That is the part that catches building owners out. The certificate is not a filing requirement that can wait for the next budget cycle. It is the thing that decides whether anyone can legally work on your roof tomorrow morning.
When an inspection is required
One fixed cycle, plus three events that restart it early. Any one of them is enough on its own.
Annually
Anchor systems must be inspected annually. The cycle runs from the last inspection rather than from the start of a calendar or fiscal year.
After any fall event
If the system has arrested a fall, it is re-inspected before it is used again, regardless of where it sits in the annual cycle.
After a structural alteration to the roof
Any structural alteration to the roof triggers a re-inspection, because the substrate an anchor is fixed into is part of the anchor.
After visible damage
Any visible damage to an anchor, or to the substrate it is fixed into, triggers a re-inspection.
What a compliant inspection looks at
Four things happen on every visit, and every anchor on the building is inspected individually and recorded individually.
Design drawing review
The system's design drawings are reviewed against current regulations, standards and engineering practice, so a system certified years ago is measured against what applies today.
Compliance with the drawings
The installed system is assessed against the engineered drawings. What was designed and what is actually on the roof are not always the same thing.
Condition of every component
All exposed, visible and accessible components are inspected for signs of distress, and every adhesive and expansion fastener is inspected.
Proof load testing
Anchors are proof load tested in line with the manufacturer's specification and the applicable regulatory requirements, including side load testing where the system calls for it. The result is recorded per anchor.
Questions we get asked
If the answer you need is not here, phoning is faster than a form.
How often do roof anchors need recertifying in New Brunswick?
Annually, and again after any fall event, any structural alteration to the roof, or any visible damage to an anchor or the substrate it is fixed into.
Who is responsible for keeping a building's roof anchors certified?
Responsibility sits with the building owner or the employer directing the work, not with the contractor who turns up to use the system.
What happens if the certification has lapsed?
An anchor that is out of certification is treated as an anchor that cannot be used. Window cleaners, roofers, sign installers and HVAC crews cannot tie off, and the work stops until the system is recertified.
Getting it done
Hightower inspects, tests and certifies roof anchors and fall-arrest systems across New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, and has worked at height in New Brunswick since 1987. The service page sets out what the inspection covers and what you end up holding.
If you want a building cleaned
Get a free estimate
Tell us the property and roughly what you need. Estimates are free and there is no obligation.
Get a quoteIf you have a compliance deadline
Book an inspection
Tell us the building, roughly how many anchors if you know, and when the current certification runs out.
Book an inspection