Based on OSHA’s fall prevention campaign, they summarize the proper roofing safety practices as “Plan, Provide and Train”, which is something that Infinite Roofing provides to all our work crews. This simply means:

• Plan – In order to get the job done properly, roofing contractors need a roof safety plan for each worksite, making sure that they have the proper equipment, material and having the appropriately trained workers. Also, the contractors knowing the pitch of the roof and following the appropriate procedure for a low or steep slope roof. Doing this provides a better and thorough roofing safety plan. 
• Provide – Roofing Contractors must be trained to have the right pieces of equipment, such as the types of ladders, scaffolds, and safety gear. 
• Train – Roofers must be trained on how to use each equipment that is used for the job. They must be trained in hazard recognition as well as the care and safety of ladders, scaffolds and other equipment that they will be using on the job. 
  

Fall Protection Requirements 

Falls are very common when it comes to roofing, they are a leading cause of work-related injuries and deaths to the workers. When a roofer is working six feet or above, this puts each roofer at risk of serious injury or even death if they were to fall. When it comes to Infinite Roofing we focus on those dangers and make sure that we avoid the lack of fall protection or the improper setup that will increase their risk of falling from a height.

Fall Protection Training 

Commercial roofing contractors must provide fall protection training for all workers who would be exposed to the chances of falling. The training must be conducted by a person who is competent and has good knowledge within the roofing industry. The information that would be provided should include information on how to recognize fall hazards and the procedures to follow in order to minimize the chances of serious incidents occurring. As a professional roofing contractor, Infinite Roofing always ensures that all our workers follow all steps to ensure they stay safe.

Roofing Safety Practice and Equipment

The best commercial roofing company to hire is one that focuses on safety and is aware of the following:

• Ladder Safety & Placement:  An experienced Albany roofer will have the proper ladder lengths so that it could be placed against the house at a safe angle. They would also make sure that the ladders are inspected by a competent person for any visible defects on a regular basis. They would take extra care that all footing of the ladder is secured and that the top is tied to prevent any slipping or shifting. 
• Safety Equipment: Other safety equipment should be used when it comes to roofing, such as using a guardrail system, scaffolding, and fall arrest systems that would include anchorage, safety harnesses and safety lines. 
• Safety Practices: In the demolition phase, roofing contractors should always protect their workers on the ground from falling debris by controlling how it leaves the roof. According to OSHA, wearing appropriate footwear is a piece of important protective equipment and critical during roof demolition. Workers should also be careful with air hoses and power cords when using nail guns and other electrical equipment. 
• Training: Roofing is a trained skill that also requires experience to fully master. Therefore, a good contractor will make sure that all their workers have been fully trained in each practice and are completely up to date with any new safety guidelines and standards. The employers must appoint a qualified person to train workers. They need to be provided with ongoing safety training that focuses on that specific type of worksite as well as general roofing safety training. Employers must also appoint a competent person to train workers who construct, disassemble, repair, inspect scaffolds to recognize any potential hazards. Training should also be provided in a language that the workers being trained can understand.
  

Roofer Tool Safety

When roofing it all comes down to the tools that you are using, therefore, power tools and equipment that is used can be extremely hazardous and can cause severe injuries if used incorrectly. Furthermore, employers can reduce the risk of injuries by simply providing the correct tool guards and trained workers. Which makes a huge improvement in the roofing safety plan.  

Power tools such as nail guns, saws, etc. should have the proper shields, guards, or safety attachments that are specified by the manufacturer. Employers must also ensure that each worker using power tools is wearing appropriate eye protection. Therefore, every local roofing contractor should replace a tool guard that is missing or has been damaged in order to provide safety for their workers. 

All workers must be able to properly use each tool and that they are properly trained. It is very important to discuss tool safety features, safe operating procedures, and work practices, such as proper body placement. Roofers in Albany must ensure all procedures are carefully followed when it comes down to each tool that is used.

Personal Protective Equipment

With any construction job, every local roofing contractor has a duty to protect its workers from hazards and injuries. However, where the hazard cannot be eliminated by other types of controls such as engineering or administrative controls, the local roofing contractor must ensure that workers wear the appropriate PPE.  

The typical PPE used with various roofing tools and equipment is nail guns, generator/air compressor, shingle stripper, tin snips, power saw, etc.

• Nail Guns: When using a nail gun, workers must wear protection (particularly eye protection), in order to prevent the nail gun from causing severe, irreparable injury. Also, always avoid carrying it against the body or with a finger on the trigger.
• Generator/air compressor: It’s important to wear eye protection and other protection while working near any pressurized equipment.
• Shingle Stripper: Always make sure you’re wearing the proper footwear and eye protection.
• Tin snips: It’s extremely important to wear work gloves and safety glasses when discarding waste or any scrap metal.
• Power saw: Making sure you’re wearing hearing protection, eye protection, and work gloves. Ensuring that guards are placed and functioning properly.
  

Weather Conditions

During the fall and winter time weather conditions can become very hazardous. Especially when it comes to the high winds, wet weather, and icy conditions. Roofing safety plans become importance at that point. Therefore local roofing contractors should consider suspending any operations in bad weather. Mainly when working on any type of roofing surface that could be slippery when it’s wet, which includes slate, tile, metal roofs. Furthermore, as local roofing contractors, we always do our utmost to promote safety and avoid working in serious weather conditions.

Why is a Fall protection Harness Important?

In order to prevent any falls, using a fall protection harness is the way to go. As mentioned before, falling while working on any roof is one of the most common reasons for roofer injuries. Therefore, when a harness is being used it is carefully engineered to work alongside the lanyard, rope-grab, rope, and roof anchor. Roofers in Albany, such as Infinite Roofing, always make sure that all our workers wear the right equipment, especially harnesses to prevent any serious injuries. 

Safe Debris Disposal

All local roofing contractors must consider worker and bystander safety when it comes to selecting a method for handling debris, which is scattered pieces of remains or waste. A common cause of debris from a roof is the removal of old roof shingles before working on a new roof installation. When debris is not managed properly it can result in a trip hazard and contribute to falls. An effective method that professional roofing contractors can use to manage the remains or waste that is on the roof is to use a forklift to raise a collection box to roof level. Therefore, when the box is full, or when the job is completely done, the box would be lowered to the ground without any of the contractors being put at risk. Another common method is to thoroughly cordon off the area where the work is taking place to ensure that nobody wanders into a dangerous area by mistake.

To sum it up

Knowing all safety guidelines and procedures can be very involved and it is very important that local roofing contractors know all safety requirements before they hit that roof. Being properly trained, forming a roof safety plan and knowing what makes each worker safe will make a hazardous job so much safer!