On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Jun 14, 2021 | Construction Accidents |
If you work in the construction industry, you understand the risks you face on the job. You not only have to use powerful and dangerous equipment, but your job probably places you in hazardous areas like high places on buildings and homes. Recent research has discovered construction workers face particular risks when working on roofs.
You could slip and fall anywhere on a construction site, but falling from a roof presents a higher risk of injury or death. Safety and Health Magazine provided some recent information on why construction workers face particular problems with roof falls.
A high rate of roof falls
Research produced by The Center for Construction Research and Training in 2019 took a look at fatalities in construction occupations. While the deaths of roof workers had actually declined that year, the rate of roofing deaths was higher than all construction occupations, reaching 35.9 per 100,000 full time workers. This finding demonstrated that simply working on a roof increased the likelihood of dying from a fall.
The issue with preventing roof falls
The Center for Construction Research and Training conducted a webinar to discuss the issue of construction site safety, including roof fall prevention. The participants discussed safety measures like putting up guardrails, having workers use anchors and using secure ladders while working on a roof.
However, the main challenge in preventing roof falls is that roofs vary across structures. Almost no roof is identical to another. As a result, construction companies have to tailor their safety measures to the specifics of each roof. This means construction workers must understand a variety of safety options so they can implement the proper measures for each roof they work on to prevent deadly falls.
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