Merely the thought of having to experience such a horrible event on a jobsite is enough to make the most seasoned roofers cringe. Unfortunately, fatalities continue to be an everyday concern as they continue to happen. Taking a look at fatality statistics and the trends may actually surprise you.
For the 2018 year (OSHA runs on a fiscal year beginning October 1), fatalities actually increased from the previous year nationwide in construction. With all the emphasis on safety in the construction industry, how is this possible? Fall protection is always a top priority for roofing contractors on a daily basis. With the increase in fatalities over the previous year, it will continue to be a priority for OSHA as well. Although the typical roofing contractor OSHA 300 logs in Florida are usually compiled with soft tissue injuries (i.e. sprained ankles, twisted knees, back strains), OSHA will always focus their resources where the fatalities are happening. In this case that means more inspections and enforcement for fall protection violations. As indicated in the graph on this page, Fall Protection violations made up the top three most-cited standards in the roofing industry (Duty to have fall protection, fall protection systems criteria and practices, and Training requirements – OSHA, 2019). Read more.
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