FACTS

Common Types of Accidents and Resulting Injuries to Roofers

1. Falls. Falls the leading cause of work-related death for roofers cause serious, permanent injuries including broken bones, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and debilitating back injuries.
2. Scaffolding injuries. Scaffolds should be designed by someone who is competent and experienced, and only trained workers should erect or alter their structure. Scaffolding can be extremely dangerous, causing falls, slips, and trips.
3. Repetitive motion injuries. Roofers can develop chronic back pain, musculoskeletal disorders, pinched nerves, carpal tunnel syndrome, and tendonitis, among other conditions.
4. Electrocution and power tool injury. Nail guns are a common source of injury for roofers. Puncture wounds and lacerations are common.
5. Weather-related injuries. Roofers often work in extreme heat. Heat exposure (or cold exposure) can lead to injury and death.
6. Ladder injuries. Any construction worker or roofer should use three points of contact when ascending or descending a ladder. Nothing should be in your hands that could throw off your balance.

STATS

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cites that falls from roofs account for 34% of all fall deaths.
• More injuries happen on residential building sites than any other workplace in the construction sector, and of falls experienced by roofers:
  • 20% were over three metres in height.
  • 40% were from permanent structures such as roofs.
• 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.
• Roofers perform a job that is both physically and intellectually demanding. Roofing has been deemed one of the 10 most dangerous jobs a person can have, due to the inherent risk of falls.
• In Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Labour has identified that one and 10 individuals accounted for over 54% of fall-related deaths.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 133,000 roofers were employed in the United States, with 28% of them being self-employed.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “more than 150,000 Americans require medical treatment as a result of roofing accidents every single year.