Hiring Properly Licensed Roofing Contractors Working on roofs is an inherently high-risk activity, roofers make up nearly a quarter of all workers killed in falls at work. Not all those who are killed while working on roofs are trained roofers: many people accessing roofs are maintenance workers. There are also many serious injuries, often resulting in permanent disabilities. There are also many serious injuries, often resulting in permanent disabilities. Most of these workplace related deaths could have been prevented had received proper fall prevention training been provided and enforced on the job each day. Training requirements for roofers varies widely, depending on location. In the United States, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has very strict rules governing training requirements for the roofing industry. Each state governs licensing requirements within their state. The United Kingdom has no legislation in place that requires a roofer to have a license to trade, although some do belong to recognized trade organizations. Every year many roofing company workers are killed or injured because of their work, and many others suffer ill health. The hazards are not, however, restricted to those working on sites. Children and other members of the public are also killed or injured because construction activities have not been adequately controlled. The construction industry’s performance has steadily improved, but the rates of death, serious injury and ill health are still the highest of all industries. These deaths, injuries and ill health cause pain and suffering. They also have a cost in industrial injuries claims, medical treatment, and lost time at work. The aim of this article is to help all those involved in construction – specifically roofing contractors (including activities often not considered as roof work, such as maintenance and surveying) – to identify the main causes of accidents and ill health and to explain how to identify the hazards and prevent or control the risks. The guidance is simple and will have general relevance to everyone in the construction process, but particularly to those directly involved in roof work. The main problems that need to be addressed are falls through fragile roofing materials and falls from unprotected roof edges. In most cases, straightforward physical protection measures can prevent accidents occurring but too often a lack of foresight and poor management control mean that protection is neglected during high-risk work, leading to accidents. A roofer was part of a gang who were re-sheeting a large steel portal frame warehouse. Approximately 50% of the roof was netted underneath. The roofer was moving a sheet from a storage pile at the opposite end of the building when he fell through an uncovered fragile roof light in an area of the roof that was not protected by nets.

A 50-year-old maintenance worker was killed when he fell through a fragile roof light panel as he was checking roof repair work carried out by other contractors. The covers, which had been provided when the repair work was carried out, had been removed and the roof light panels were unprotected. Not all the safeguards in this guidance will be relevant in all circumstances. Those who are planning the work should consider the extent and nature of the risks in the specific job and then plan a safe method of work from there. The guidance is structured to identify precautions that are applicable to all roof work. It also includes precautions that are particularly relevant to different types of roof and different types of work. However, risks are significant in all roof work and high standards of safety are necessary to provide adequate protection. Who does this article apply to? Roof work is not just an issue for construction companies. Other workers, such as building maintenance staff, can fall from or through roofs. This guidance will be useful to anyone planning, arranging or supervising roof work or work on roofs including: directors and partners of companies who carry out roof work The law There is a range of law relevant to roof work safety. The principal elements are: the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974;■■ the Work at Height Regulations 2005;■■ the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999;■■ the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007; ■■ the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998; and■■ the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.■■ Health and safety in construction HSG1501 contains more information on these legal requirements. http://handyhome.pro/