January 18, 2001

Roofer falls head over heels for safety

Guardian Fall Protection began at the top -- of the roof, that is.

Bud Woodyard was a roofing contractor before he founded the Kent-based manufacturer and distributor of fall-protection harnesses, anchors and lifelines.

Brad Betts, a Guardian employee, demonstrates a removable horizontal lifeline system his company makes.

Woodyard says that, while Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules told him he needed to have some sort of protection to keep him from falling, they didn't say how to go about it. He had the harnesses and the lifeline rope, but "what is the other end of the rope hooked to? You couldn't buy something to hook to," Woodyard says. So, "we started making 'hook-to's."

Woodyard

The SkyHook, the company's first product, is a simple design with a practical application. The patented metal anchorage system, which can be attached to the roof of almost any commercial building, satisfies fall restraint and arrest requirements of OSHA and the Washington Department of Labor and Industries.

What started as an invention born from necessity became a booming business of distributing fall-protection products across the nation. "We've grown from just doing our own," says Woodyard, who has since retired from roofing and construction to operate the fall-protection business full-time with his daughter and co-founder Wendi Woodyard. "We actually have saved a few lives."

While the SkyHook can be attached to the roof for work and then removed, Guardian markets the product as something that can be permanently attached and left for use by future workers. "The next guy has to have something, too," Woodyard says, such as the person who comes to make a quick check of the air conditioning system or to make repairs to the roof.

Having a permanent anchor point on every commercial building would allow the worker fall protection without spending the time to re-attach the anchor. "That makes more sense," Woodyard says.

Guardian's anchorage connections range from "Beamers" that attach quickly to I- or H-beam flanges to the "Tank Master" which provides an anchor point for working on top of tanks. Woodyard says they can even customize anchorage systems for their customers' specific needs. "The people will tell you what they need," he says. "We will build it for them."

While many of the company's products are for use on commercial-grade projects, Guardian also has products that attach to residential construction. One of its products, the "Ridge-It" anchor, is a smaller metal anchorage system designed to install easily on existing or under-construction roofs.

The Ridge-It is a good tool for residential roofing contractors or do-it-yourself homeowners. "There are thousands of people who slide off their roofs every year," Woodyard says.

For them, Guardian markets a Rooftop Safety Kit, complete with all the equipment to safely "tie-off" on a shingle or shake roof. The kit comes with a Ridge-It anchor, a harness and lifeline. It retails for $192 and can be found locally at McLendon Hardware.

Besides providing anchorage systems, Guardian has become a "one-stop shop" for lifelines, harnesses and other fall-protection accessories.

The TUX

One of Guardian's newest products is the Construction TUX, a lightweight vest harness that is designed to be comfortable and easier to use than a standard harness. "I hate harnesses," Woodyard says. The straps often come jumbled up in a pile, and harnesses can be inconvenient to wear for people who want to reach into their pockets or use the restroom. "It seemed like my crew spent all their time taking off and putting on their harnesses."

The TUX has the same components of a standard harness inside the vest, but it slips on easily and has pockets on the front and a zipper-pouch to hold the leg straps while not in use. "I wanted to build a harness that was comfortable enough that everyone wanted to wear it," he says.

Before a product is marketed, Guardian tests it in its own specially-designed, in-house facilities using a 220-pound test dummy. Before that, Woodyard says he used to test the products himself. "I would run and jump off the roof and see if it would hold me," he says.

Fortunately, it always has.

"We do put out nice products," Woodyard says, adding that it's nice to work at a business were everyone is grateful for what you're doing. "I get to be the good guy."

More product information can be found on the company's Web site: www.guardianfall.com.

 

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Lisa Lannigan can be reached by email or by phone at (206) 622-8272.

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• Faux fires are a gas for local company, 12-21-2000
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• Challenges of maritime work fuel Manson, 12-07-2000
• Flash Gordon meets the backhoe, 11-30-2000
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