I've just done a few H&S courses including harness training etc, however it doesn't really help in real life when your up on a house roof. I know some guys in Ireland that clean roofs and they took an abseiling course and use that type of equipment and it works well for them, it does have it's short comings because it's not industrial type equipment and the training wasn't industrial specific so there would be some shortfalls. This type of kit allows them to lean off the rope and face the roof both hands free!
I've called a local firm (Norfolk) at length about roof access and the type of work we do. They train all the offshore rigs in health and safety and search and rescue. They can do a training session and advise upon equipment specific to what we need but it's not cheap. Looking at about 600 quid for training however that's for say 1 to six people attending (about 100 quid per person would then be cheap).
If any of you guys fancy it we could chat and speak to them!!! Let me know..
dickie