Page 23 - OHS, June 2024

Double Up on Safety
Roofers working alone on a job is sadly an all too common occurrence in our in- dustry. Working alone increases the risk of serious injury exponentially. If roofers stopped doing solo jobs, our industry could dramatically decrease workplace injuries. It’s impossible to fix the whole industry, but it is possible to ensure that a roofing team isn’t conducting solo roofing jobs in 2024. Ask roofers to work in pairs no matter how small the job is. This can often be hard for small roofers who are trying to complete a backlog of jobs, but losing a team member to injury is going to lead to worse outcomes. Take extra time to complete their jobs and always have at least two people work a job.
Safety First Superintendents
Competent superintendents are essential for any roofing team, and it is important to only hire superintendents with a proven safety record. Rather than just promoting superintendents from within, assess some- one’s commitment to safety in real time.
Don’t promote the guy that has too many writeups. Promote the guy who has little to no writeups. A good superintendent will spend time with his team on safety initia- tives, inspecting PPP gear and writing up contractors breaking safety rules. Hire competent superintendents who take safety seriously this year.
Safety Off Roof
Safety doesn’t just apply when the team is on a roof. Make sure the team is being safe on the ground as well. This means making sure tools and debris are safely secured in the back of the vehicle. It means the team is being safe driving to and from the job site. Roofing companies often don’t teach this type of safe- ty, and it is important. A good way to ensure the team is driving safely is to install GPS on all company-owned trucks. These can moni- tor where team members are and most im- portantly how fast they are driving.
Vehicle Maintenance
Poorly maintained vehicles in the fleet are a
huge safety risk to everyone on the road. A truck with low tire pressure can cause a tire to pop and the truck to crash, while old and cracked windshields can obstruct vision. Assign someone on the team to do routine truck inspections and schedule mainte- nance when needed. Inspecting the trucks will prevent accidents and save money on costly emergency repairs.
Roofing is a dangerous job, which is why roofers need to improve their safety strategy this year. Create frequent and engaging safe- ty courses, have workers in teams no matter how small the job is, and be safe driving to and from a job site. Taking these steps will help prevent accidents that will hurt the health of anyroofing company.
Pat Overson is the Owner of Overson Roof- ing (oversonroofing.com), a roofing contrac- tor in Mesa Arizona.
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JUNE 2024 | Occupational Health & Safety 21