FACTS

COMMON INJURIES SUSTAINED IN ROOFING ACCIDENTS

• Broken Bones. Broken bones and fractures are common injuries that roofers sustain after fall accidents. Whether a roofer falls through a ceiling, off a roof or off scaffolding, the impact of the landing could result in broken bones and/or fractures.
• Traumatic Brain Injury. If a roofer falls from a significant height or is hit by an object, he or she can suffer from a traumatic brain injury. Individuals who have suffered from this type of injury typically experience long-term effects in their emotional, mental, and reasoning abilities.
• Spinal Cord and Back Injuries. When a roofer falls on a construction site, he or she can sustain serious back and spinal cord injuries. Sometimes a spinal cord injury can lead to partial or complete paralysis.
• Puncture Wounds. Puncture wounds are not uncommon on a construction site. Roofers may puncture themselves by falling on a sharp object, when using a nail gun or by stepping on upturned nails.
• Heat exposure. In the summer months, roofers must work in extreme heat—sometimes over 90 degrees—for long periods of time, resulting in them suffering serious dehydration.
• Electrocution. Another one of the “fatal four,” electrocution is a danger roofers face if their metal ladders come in contact with power lines or they are exposed to other electrical hazards.

STATS

• According B.L.S. roofing fatalities accounted for 96 of the 5,250 work-related deaths in 2018.
• The fatal injury rate in the roofing industry in 2018 was 51.5 per 100,000 full-time workers, compared to only 3.5 per 100,000 in all other sectors.
• 30 percent of injuries to roofers are a result of falls or slips and are likely to cause the most serious injuries.
• According to the B.L.S. shows that there are 47.4 roofer deaths per 100,000 workers.
• A report released by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in December of 2020 shows that the number of roofing fatalities reported in 2019 was up 15% from 2018. The National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries report showed that roofers accounted for 111 of 5,333 fatal on-the-job injuries in 2019.
• Data from the annual Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries shows that in 2020, 108 roofing contractors died as a result of a workplace injury. These deaths accounted for 2.2% of fatal workplace injuries in 2020. It’s a 2.7% decrease compared to last year’s data.