Rules, authorisation and certificates in roofing

Many think all craft trades require a license. They do not. Roofer is not an authorised trade in the same way that electrical and plumbing work is where the law requires special approval to perform the work at all. So you are allowed to lay roofs once you have learned the trade. But it does not mean there are no rules — there are and some of them are very important to know.

§The journeyman's certificate is your professional proof

The most important paper in the trade is the journeyman's certificate. It is not an authorization in the legal sense but it is the documentation that you are fully trained as a roofer. If you eventually want to start your own business or become a master it builds on this foundation. The journeyman's certificate is your ticket to skilled work and to further and continuing education.

§Hot work — the most important certificate in the trade

Engine challenge

Requirements or not?

In Denmark this development is closely linked to the labour market education system — the AMU system — which makes it possible for both young and experienced to build concrete welding competencies step by step and certify themselves within the methods they work with. Welding thus went from being something you learned through peer training to a profession with formal education tests and papers.

§Work at height and on scaffolding

Roofers work almost always at height. If you yourself set up, modify, or dismantle certain types of scaffolding, it requires special scaffolding training when the scaffold reaches a certain height. Here too, the rules are set to prevent accidents, and they apply regardless of how skilled you feel. Fall protection and proper roof access are not something you skip to save time.

§Other rules you encounter in everyday life

• 01Requirements for fire watch and extinguishing material during hot work
• 02Rules for correct storage and handling of gas cylinders and burners
• 03Requirements for personal protective equipment in dusty, hot or steamy work
• 04Special precautions if asbestos is suspected in older roofing materials
• 05Occupational health and safety rules on lifting working positions access routes and fall protection

§Who keeps an eye on the rules?

The Labour Authority oversees the work environment on construction sites and can issue orders if things are not in order. It is the employer's responsibility to ensure the work environment is safe but you as an employee also have a shared responsibility to use protective equipment and follow instructions. The education content itself and the journeyman examination are developed and maintained by the professional committee that covers the concrete layer paving and roofing trades.

“The rules are not there to bother you – they are because a spark in the wrong place, or a fall from a roof, can cost both the house and your health.”