Roofs must be accessed by workers for all sorts of reasons, from building the roof itself to repairing or maintaining the structure and keeping things safe from water leaks or cracks and buckling from heavy ice and snow. Rooftops are dangerous places to be, even for the most experienced of roofers or repairmen. A rooftop fall from even a single story structure can be deadly.
All roofs are risky. The simple task of replacing shingles on a house roof can result in a fatal fall. Even a strong gust of wind can cause a deadly rooftop fall.
Highest Number of Rooftop Fall Deaths in 30 Years
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 887 workers fell to their deaths while working on construction sites in 2017, the most falling deaths in a single year since the BLS started its studies of worker fatalities over 30 years ago. Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry.
Construction site falling deaths result from accidents involving scaffolds, ladders, or roofs in almost all situations. Rooftop falls are very dangerous. A fall from a rooftop will result in the worker’s death eighty-one percent (81%) of the time.
For more on construction worker falling dangers, read “Deadly Construction Accidents: Falls Remain a Leading Cause of Death for Construction Workers.”
Protecting Against Deadly Rooftop Falls: The Duty to Keep Workers Safe
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) monitors injuries in the construction industry and the level of safety standards being used by employers of construction workers who must access roofs as part of their job duties.
According to NIOSH, anyone accessing a roof during work should expect their employers to do the following:
- Develop a fall protection strategy for the work site;
- Implement this fall protection strategy through training of both supervisors and workers;
- Implement this fall protection strategy by purchasing fall protection equipment for the workers who will be on the roof(s);
- Provide proper fall protection equipment;
- Provide fall protection equipment that fits the worker;
- Use a fall arrest system;
- Have proper anchorage for the fall arrest system;
- Establish a “buddy system” for workers who will be working on rooftops;
- Monitor weather conditions (rain, snow, sleet, wind, etc.) at all times; and
- Keep workers off rooftops when weather conditions make rooftops and accessing the roof especially hazardous.
For more: NIOSH [2019]. Prevent Construction Falls from Roofs, Ladders, and Scaffolds. By Romano N., Webb S., Moore M., and Lincoln J. Morgantown, WV: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication 2019-128, https://doi.org/10.26616/NIOSHPUB2019128updated052019external icon.
Rooftop Fall Deaths: Federal and State Regulation (Indiana and Illinois)
No one should assume that their employer will meet safety standards to prevent worker rooftop deaths, simply because there are so many rooftop fall fatalities happening in this country. While there are laws on the books to protect against rooftop fall deaths, these are not being respected and followed by too many employers. As a result, the tragic reality is that most rooftop fall fatalities are entirely preventable accidents.
The laws may define the duty of keeping workers safe, but all too often that duty of care is being ignored, exposing workers to the danger of dying while working on the job.
In the latest Top Ten list of OSHA worksite violations, for instance, fall dangers on the construction site comprise 20% of that list:
- Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501) (Number One on the Top Ten List); and
- Fall protection, training requirements (29 CFR 1926.503) (Number Eight on the Top Ten List).
Plenty of laws are in place to protect against deadly rooftop falls. There are federal and state regulations that have been created to try and keep workers safe. The federal regulations, overseen by the federal government through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), cover both commercial and residential construction workers.
As for state laws and rooftop construction safety standards, Indiana OSHA requirements (regulations and standards) are identical to those adopted by federal OSHA. Illinois OSHA has adopted all federal OSHA standards regarding the construction industry (e.g., 29 CFR 1926).
OSHA recommends the following be provided by employers to reduce fatal construction falls:
- Fall protection be provided at six feet elevation;
- Fall protection be provided when working over dangerous equipment and machinery, regardless of the fall distance;
- Place a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided platform;
- Place a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided floor;
- Place a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided runway;
- Regardless of height, if a worker can fall into or onto dangerous machines or equipment, the employers must provide protection (guardrails, toe-boards) to prevent a fall; and,
- Provide job-specific fall protection including safety harnesses, safety lines, safety nets, stair railings, and hand rails.
In rooftop work, the importance of minor gear and equipment can make all the difference in whether or not there is a deadly accident on the rooftop. For instance, simply having the worker wear a harness which is tied to an anchor (a “fall arrest system”) can keep a worker who slips or loses his balance on the rooftop from falling to his death.
However, employers must pay for this equipment. And employers must make sure that the gear is appropriate for the individual worker. The roofer who is over six feet tall needs a different fit than a roofer who is shorter and perhaps weighs 50 lbs. more than his taller colleague on the work site.
Justice after a Deadly Rooftop Fall
The fact that BLS statistics are breaking 30-year records in the number of rooftop fall deaths makes it clear that employers in the construction industry are failing to meet their legal duty to provide safe working conditions for workers who must access roofs as part of their job.
Anyone who must work on a rooftop in Indiana or Illinois should be aware of this danger and not assume their employers are acting in the best interests of their employees. The reality is that many companies are putting profits over people, and workers on rooftops are not being properly trained and/or being given proper fall protection gear and equipment.
For more, see:
- Construction Fall Accidents in Indiana or Illinois: Great Danger of Fatal Injury in a Fall on the Job;
- Construction Worker Deaths: Almost Half of All Construction Fatalities Caused by Falls.
For workers in both Illinois and Indiana, it is vital that they understand that anyone asked to work on a rooftop faces great danger of harm and the employer has a legal duty to keep that worker safe while on the job. This duty is being ignored or disrespected by many, who chose profits over people. Workers are becoming victims of rooftop fall deaths as a result.
For these tragedies, the laws of Indiana and Illinois do provide avenues for justice for both the rooftop fall victim and his family under both personal injury laws as well as workers’ compensation. Please be careful out there!
