Fall Stand-Down for Safety
Every year about 100 construction workers die from falls, and 13 times as many are seriously injured. Did you know homeowners can play a role in promoting roofing safety among contractors?
Falls are the leading cause of death among construction workers, and falls from rooftops are the most common type of fall. Nobody wants their property to be the site of an accident, and working with contractors who take precautions to protect their workers is the first step to preventing those kinds of accidents.
When evaluating a bid from a contractor, consider its commitment to safety as well as the price it provides. In many cases, it’s common to get a low bid from a roofing company because they’re not committed to safety. Ask your contractor the following questions to ensure you’re choosing one that supports safety:
- Do your workers work directly for you? Workers who are independent contractors aren’t covered by the roofing company’s workers’ compensation insurance, and, in many cases, aren’t insured at all.
- Do you have workers’ compensation insurance? Ask to see a copy of the insurance certificate. Colorado law requires all employees to be covered by workers’ compensation.
- Do your workers use safety equipment on site? Lifelines, guard rails and secured ladders are used by responsible roofers.
Experience isn’t protection enough. Even veteran roofers with more than a dozen years of experience can fall from a roof on even a routine residential job.fal
B&M Roofing takes our dedication to safety very seriously. In addition to regular fall protection trainings, we have company-wide safety meetings twice a year, weekly Tool Box Talks to discuss safety procedures and OSHA requirements and new-hire safety orientations.
With OSHA’s national fall stand-down push May 7-11, we’re working internally to ensure all our employees play it safe whenever they’re on a rooftop. While roofers can do our part, it’s up to homeowner to rely only on reputable contractors as well.
