Bob Delaney, President, Safety Hoist Company
Roofing contractors, sheet metal workers, window and solar panel installers, and other professionals allied with the roofing industry rely on established models and procedures to keep workers safe. In Florida, as well as elsewhere in the southeastern United States and along the Gulf Coast, it’s time to hoist a new roofing safety standard.
The very materials that make homes in the region more energy efficient and stormproof may also pose a greater safety risk because of their weight and dimensions. It is imperative to choose the right material hoist to get those heavy/bulky materials to the roof and still ensure worker safety by preventing falls, minimizing injuries, and decreasing accidents and even deaths.
Roofing jobs can be dangerous and expensive. Getting material onto the roof is hazardous, labor-intensive work when you manually carry items up a ladder. Heavy, bulky items put you and your workers at greater risk of accidents. Falls can result in grave injuries. If you are caught in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) “three points of contact” regulations, you face large fines. Although boom trucks and roofing conveyors negate some of this risk, they require significant space, operator
training, rental fees, and payment for the inevitable property damage they cause to driveways, lawns, and landscaping. They also fail to effectively unload materials precisely where you want them, which is safely away from the edge of the roof. An OSHA-approved
ladder lift may be a better alternative.
OSHA regulates how objects should be carried and loaded/unloaded and how workers should be protected from falls. For those doing manual lifting, OSHA states that:
■ Each person going up/down the ladder will grasp the ladder with at least one hand at all times, maintaining 3 points of contact with the ladder—either with 2 hands and 1 foot or 1 hand and 2 feet
■ Workers will refrain from carrying objects and loads that could cause them to slip or fall
■ All ladders, including portable extension ladders, fall under these OSHA rules
■ Ladders must support 4 times the intended load except for rugged use, extra-heavy-duty ladders, which require a minimum of 3.3 times their 375-lb. capacity
■ No load will exceed the published weight limit
■ Ladders must only be used for their intended purpose
■ Non-self-supporting ladders must be angled so that the foot of the ladder is one-fourth of the working length of the ladder away from the structure supporting the top of the ladder
Choose an OSHA-approved power ladder to meet these safety standards.
For the safety of your workers, choose a platform hoist company committed to your safety and to excellence, quality, and service. Their products should keep laborers off of ladders by easily transporting up to 400 pounds of materials to high rooftops. By handling bulky, heavy, and/or unstable materials, the ladder hoist can reduce worker fatigue, decrease the risk of injuries, prevent accidents and cut workers compensation claims, and minimize OSHA infractions.
Look for a roofing ladder designed to accommodate all types of roof shingles plus:
■ Reflective roofing materials that make Florida homes more energy efficient—clay tiles, green sod, metals, and slate tiles
■ Concrete tiles used to stand up to hurricane winds
■ Newer, longer-lasting, heavier shingles
■ Shingle packages now contain more shingles per package, which increases efficiency but also increases the weight of each package that needs to be lifted to the roof
Also, look for product attachments for the shingle elevator so you can handle the bulkier materials required for Florida’s solar-powered homes and hurricane-resistant construction. A solar cradle can lift solar panels with ease while keeping workers safely on the ground. An unloading ramp increases safety and efficiency by automatically unloading away from the edge of the roof. A gravel hopper eliminates the danger that shifting loads can cause. Custom support braces stabilize your ladder-lift for added safety at greater heights. Like the solar cradle, a plywood carrier keeps workers safe from trying to carry unwieldy items with one hand on the ladder and one on bulky material like rolled goods, sheets of metal or plywood, skylights, or trusses. Don’t let heavy, bulky objects or the special materials that work so well in the Florida sunshine keep you from a great safety record. Hoist a new safety standard for your company with an OSHA-compliant material hoist.
Safety Hoist Company president Bob Delaney continues to champion worker safety and set the standard for lifting heavy materials. For over 45 years, his company’s sole focus has been designing and manufacturing ladder hoists. As the roofing industry changes, they pioneer new power ladders and product attachments to increase worker safety and efficiency. The durability of their ladder lifts, the quality of their materials, and their excellent track record all contribute to worker safety.
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