Edge Awareness – Losing the edge of the roof can be a problem when you are engaged in roof work. Some workers get so wrapped up in their project that they forget where the roof edge is.
Improper Training – If there is someone on the roof who has not been properly trained, they are a rooftop safety hazard and could cause serious injury to themselves or others.
Improper Use of Fall Protection Equipment – Such as poorly anchored railing, lanyard too long, or a weak tie-off point. Understanding and training on how to properly use fall protection equipment are critical.
Poor Line of Sight – Ridge vents, chimneys, shingle bundles may block egress on a roof. Maintain a good line of sight so that you know where you are in relation to the roof’s edge.
Pitch – The steeper the roof is, the risk of falling increases. Ensure that the fall protection and shingle bundles are secure before setting foot on the roof.
Split Level Roofs & Fall Heights – Employees engaged in roofing activities on low-slope and split-level roofs with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet (1.8 meters) or more above lower levels should have proper fall protection equipment.
STATS
The roofing profession is over 15 times more hazardous than any other sector. As a result, roofing jobs have a fatality rate of 54%, one of the highest job-related fatalities.
OSHA reports that falls are the number one cause of deaths in the construction industry.
OSHA also reports that falls from roofs account for 34% of all fall deaths in construction.
In 2020, there were 351 fatal falls to a lower level out of 1,008 construction fatalities.
The Center for Construction Research and Training reports that “roofers have the fifth-highest work-related death rate in construction, 29.9 deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, about twice the average for all construction of 15.2.
About 50 roofers are killed on the job each year, most by falls.
For roofers in residential construction, falls from roof edges accounted for 70% of work-related-fall deaths and 90% of roof fall deaths.
Residential roofers had almost twice the percentage of fatal falls from ladders compared to all roofers.