Like many others in the past, this Safety Talk tells of an incident in which a roofer was injured on the job. When listening to what happened, think about the roofing jobs that you have been on in your career. Have you made similar mistakes and placed yourself at risk?
During the summer of 2009 Tim was on a roofing job in South Carolina. One of the rules on that particular jobsite was that the roofers were not permitted to get off and on the roof for their breaks. Instead, they had to take their breaks while on the roof.
Tim’s wife had cooked a ham for Sunday dinner, so he had a couple of big ham sandwiches for his lunchbox that day. When he got onsite, Tim grabbed his lunchbox and headed for the ladder. He proceeded to climb the ladder carrying his lunch box. Tim made it about half way up the 20 foot ladder when he lost his balance. With his lunch box in his left hand, he wasn’t able to use that hand to balance himself. As a result, he fell off the ladder. Fortunately for him, he hit the soft clay at the base of the building. Although there were no life-threatening injuries, Tim broke his right arm as a result of the fall.
Tim could have easily been more seriously injured, or could have even died that morning. Instead, he broke his arm. He was forced to eat his ham sandwich at the local emergency room; had to wear a cast; and was assigned a light-duty job in the shop for 6 weeks.
DISCUSSION NOTES
What should Tim have done differently?
Are there times that you carry something up or down a ladder?
Did you know that most falls that happen in the roofing industry involve getting on or off the roof?
Here are a few general ladder safety rules:
- Never carry items up or down a ladder. Use a hoist to transport items on and off of the roof.
- Always use three points of contact
- Ensure that ladders are tied-off
- Make sure that there is three feet of ladder above the roof’s edge
What are some other ladder safety rules that we each should follow?
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