When I had a plumber put my HW tank through a hole in the roof he just put up a tower next to the gable end and walked about on the roof.
You wouldn't need a ladder to climb a steep road and the roof doesn't slope more and being modern with concrete tiles it isn't going to break.
If its a slate roof you would want a roof ladder, slippery and not very strong.
As for gutters then you don't have anywhere near the full weight of a person against it if the ladder is at the correct angle. I would use my ladder stays though, I may as well use them for something.
Yes, good point I suppose. If in doubt bash the gutter with the ladder, with your feet on the ground!
I could sit here all day typing out my gutter reminiscences (Ha!) but the one that comes immediately to mind concerns an old, dilapidated, three floor farmhouse with cast iron guttering. The guttering was clearly unsafe. The roof overhang was enormous and thus precluded the use of a stand-off. I discussed the problem with the customer, and it was decided to bash the guttering with the ladder to test it. It failed the test spectacularly, a long section coming off except at one end so it swung down like a trapdoor on a hinge. The ten foot section hung vertically for several seconds then detached itself and fell end wise to the slate roof of the coalhouse, which it pierced. It remained upright, sticking up through the slates. To my surprise the customer found all this hilarious, and danced about saying, "Ah bet tha' couldn't do that agen mester!"
I think the reason I survived was because I was always extremely cautious. I was always aware of the danger when climbing. I was never blasé. To be honest, I was often quite scared, and I think it's good to be scared when you're climbing on roofs.
I did have several moments of really intense fear, but that's for another day.
If they aren't strong enough to support the weight, how come they do? And as for causing damage, well you wouldn't get away with it would you? They'd see it. Then you wouldn't make a profit.
Many installers dispense with the roof ladder out of laziness, but yes, there are some roofs where it's far safer to not use one. In such cases rigid application of H & S rules can be dangerous.
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