Roofing Safety: A Quick And Handy Guide

More than 1,000 construction workers were injured in job site falls in 2019, many of them professional roofers. According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 34 percent of deaths from falls are falls from roofs. Working on a slanted surface at least seven to eight feet in the air is dangerous, even for those who have been roofing for decades. Whether you’re new or experienced, safety needs to be at the forefront of your mind whenever you approach a roofing job. As a primer for new workers and a review for experienced ones, we’ve put together a brief list of safety procedures and gear to keep everyone safe on your roofing job site.

Best practices for staying safe on a roofing job site.

1. Clean up as you work. A messy job site is annoying anywhere, but on a roof scattered tools and debris can also be a safety hazard. Make cleanliness mandatory.

2. Mark hazardous areas. If there are areas on the roof that are particularly dangerous, such as a hole in the roof, a skylight or loose flashings, make sure to mark the area with reflective tape so that everyone on your crew will know to treat those areas with respect and care.

Gear for good roofing safety

Having the right safety equipment is also essential to keeping yourself and your crew out of harm’s way up on the roof. Just a few of the items you’ll want to include in your gear are:

1. Something to secure your ladders to the eaves of the house. Obviously, securing your ladders is essential to a safe working environment. One of the best ways to do this is by using a tie-down residential safety ladder dock. This product is made from non-corrosive aluminum and fits on most house roofs, up to a 6/12 pitch. Additional safety features include durable chains for securing the ladder and a slip-resistant contact surface.

2. Safety harnesses and lanyards. A safety harness system keeps your workers from hitting the ground should they slip off of the roof. The harness is attached to a lanyard that is securely anchored so that it suspends the worker in the air should he or she come off of the roof. 

3. A guardrail system. For large, flat or extra-hazardous roofs, a guardrail system can keep your crew from accidentally stepping over the edge. One example is the Roof Zone Universal Guardrail system, an OSHA-approved system that features a stackable pallet with 24 zinc-plated safety locking pins, 11 10ft guardrails and 12 zip bases. The system can be stacked up to three pallets high. 

Tips for year round roofing safety

Sleet, rain and extreme heat can all add to the challenge of working on a roof. Everything is amplified up on that roof. The heat is reflected back at your crew from the asphalt shingles or metal roofing sheets. Rain and sleet can bounce back into a worker’s face and cause visibility problems as well as slickness.

In the summer, make sure that your crew stays hydrated and takes frequent breaks to prevent sun and heatstroke. Proper sunglasses and sunscreen are also important, even if the day is overcast. During inclement weather, good footwear and eye protection is essential.

Staying safe on a roofing job site is a combination of good planning, good practices and having the right equipment. To learn more about roofing safety equipment, contact Roofing Direct by clicking here or by calling: 1 (855) 670-7663 (ROOF). We offer free shipping on most orders.