Roof-anchoring systems and methods

A method for restraining and/or arresting falls from a roof on a structure, the roof comprising at least one sloped surface, the method comprising:

• (1) installing a non-penetrating fall protection system on the roof, the non-penetrating fall protection system comprising:
• (a) a plurality of anchoring devices each comprising an arched body having a front end and a rear end and configured to hook around an edge of the roof, wherein the plurality of anchoring devices comprises a first anchoring device configured to hook around a first edge of the roof and a second anchoring device configured to hook around a second edge of the roof;
• (b) a single tether line configured to be connected under tension between the first anchoring device and the second anchoring device and extending over the at least one sloped surface of the roof, the single tether line configured to hold the first anchoring device around the first edge and to hold the second anchoring device around the second edge;
• (c) a first lifeline configured to be connected to the single tether line at a first end of the first lifeline;
• and
• (d) a tether line slidable element comprising a rope grab configured to be connected to the first end of the first lifeline and configured to selectively and repositionably anchor the first end of the first lifeline to the single tether line at a selected one of a plurality of tether line anchor points disposed between the first anchoring device and the second anchoring device by (1) freely allowing slidable movement of the first end of the first lifeline along the single tether line in a first direction and (2) anchoring the first end of the first lifeline to the single tether line at the selected one of the plurality of tether line anchor points by not allowing slidable movement of the first end of the first lifeline in a second direction substantially reversed from the first direction unless the tether line slidable element is actuated to allow slidable movement in the second direction;
• (e) a first user slidable element comprising a rope grab configured to be connected to the first lifeline and to a user device and configured to selectively and repositionably anchor the user device to the first lifeline at a selected one of a plurality of first lifeline anchor points disposed between the first end of the first lifeline and a second end of the first lifeline by (1) freely allowing slidable movement of the first user slidable element along the first lifeline in a third direction and (2) anchoring the first user slidable element to the first lifeline at the selected one of the plurality of first lifeline anchor points by not allowing slidable movement of the first user slidable element in a fourth direction substantially reversed from the third direction unless the first user slidable element is actuated to allow slidable movement in the fourth direction,
• wherein the user device comprises one or more of a harness or a lanyard or a combination thereof:
• wherein the installing of the first anchoring device, the second anchoring device, and the single tether line do not require a user to be on the roof;
• (2) attaching the first user slidable element to the first lifeline;
• (3) attaching the user device to the first user slidable element;
• (4) attaching the tether line slidable element to the single tether line;
• (5) attaching the first end of the first lifeline to the tether line slidable element;
• (6) sliding the tether line slidable element along the single tether line and anchoring at a selected first of the plurality of tether line anchor points to prevent motion of the first end of the first lifeline along the single tether line in the second direction;
• and
• (7) sliding the first user slidable element along the first lifeline and anchoring at a selected first of the plurality of first lifeline anchor points to prevent motion of the first user slidable element along the first lifeline in the fourth direction.