Three types of workers amaze me every time I see them in action: electrical line workers, roofers, and tree cutters.
A few months back after a storm snapped some of my trees, I hired a company to cut about 7 big oaks down (shout out to Cesar B!). My neighbor came over at 9 o’ clock in the morning with a beverage in hand, popped the top, and said to my kids, “Now this is going to be a better show than the circus!” He wasn’t wrong. Watching them scale up trees, tie ropes, swing branches with surgical precision, and topple huge trunks was impressive, to say the least.
One question I was wondering that morning is the same question that people ask us on the job site: How do you keep them safe up there?
The answer is that we rely on safety technology, OSHA requirements, and general safety best practices to keep your roofer firm-footed on those slanted roofs.
It all starts with their physical fitness, as every Houston roofer is basically an asphalt athlete. Scaling ladders while holding huge bags of shingles or underlayment is incredibly exhausting. An extra 20 or 50 pounds can cost someone their lives, but the reality is that once you do this kind of work, especially in the Houston summer, you’ll find it hard to add weight! But if lifting heavy weight and going up and down ladders becomes too straining, a roofer can get lightheaded and that is a dangerous situation. This includes frequent water breaks during the heat of the day.
Speaking of the weather, the second thing we do to protect our workers is closely monitor the weather. Rains and high winds will put their lives in jeopardy, so we make sure that if the chances are high for bad weather, we will be in communication with you to reschedule your work, usually for the very next day.
Another safety item that is crucial is the right footwear. Shoes or boots must have grip, they must have a thicker sole (remember 10,000 nails are used in a new roof!), they must protect the wearer’s toes from dropped tools and materials, and they must fit snuggly. Also, roofers are close to power lines and cables, so protection from electrical shocks is a must. Many hiking boots and work boots will do the job, but the most popular is the Cougar Paw Performer, especially for high-pitched roofs.
The two areas that cause the most fatalities are falls and electricity. Others are extreme temperatures, contact with hazardous substances and chemicals, and power tools.
There are a lot of fall-prevention methods to keep your roofer safe:
- Inspection of the roof to make sure it is safe to walk on (rot, holes, etc.)
- Proper training on different roof pitches (flat roofs aren’t magically safe)
- Harnesses and other “personal fall arrest systems” as they are known
- Guardrails and professionally installed scaffolding (easy to get wrong)
- Warning lines and coverings around skylights, atriums, and other roof openings
- Ladder safety and security (seems intuitive, but stability can be tricky)
- Toe boards that nail into or use friction with the shingles
- New tech (like the hilariously named The Goat Steep Assist Ladder)
Taking roofer safety seriously is the table-stakes for being a professional roofing company. They are ones who get the job done so why wouldn’t we protect our own people? Protection starts with training- proper ladder and tool use, pre-inspections, and clear communication. An untrained worker is a dangerous variable to himself and others.
Along these lines, one way you can tell a professional roofer from the unprofessional is the orderliness of the job site. Injuries are more likely to occur when tools, shingles, nails, and other items are haphazardly spread throughout the homeowner’s yard. Things happen: tools fall, nails scatter, boots slip. Smart contractors make sure their crews are trained, healthy, the weather is right, and the job site is organized.