Osha Roof Safety

Each year many roofers sustain injuries and even die on the job in the u s.

Osha roof safety. Contractors and employers who perform construction work must comply with standards in 29 cfr 1926 subpart c general safety and health provisions as well as other applicable photo courtesy of acta safety peterson dean roofing. Proper fall protection measures personal protective equipment ppe and adhering to safe work practices can protect workers from fall hazards. Protecting roofing workers osha 3755 2015 english. This includes guardrail systems personal fall arrest systems and safety nets.

The roofing safety zones. The extremely high danger zone less than six feet from the roof s edge requires one of the following. Roofing work poses safety risks for workers because of the high heights involved in installing roofs. Single unit monolithic roofing applied to flat roofs may seem safer to some roof workers but the work is still at height and subject to many similar hazards and safety requirements as sloped roof work.

Even experienced roofers are exposed to unpredictable fall hazards caused by uneven sheathing sudden gusts of wind loose roofing materials and surfaces that become slick. Workers replacing roofs risk permanent injury or death from falls while they demolish old roofs and install new roofing material for example shingles tiles or slate. Previously osha stated no safe distance when it came to working on an unprotected roof edge. While some workers may scoff at the idea of ppe it s the employer s responsibility to ensure every worker on the job site is wearing appropriate ppe 29 cfr 1926.

Re roofing fact sheet osha fs 3503 2012 english. Subsequently there are a variety of safety requirements for protection from falling in the construction roofing industry osha 29 cfr 1926 501 fall protection general requirements is consistently the most violated osha standard. Osha has designated three work zones on low slope roofs with unprotected edges that are four feet or more above a lower level. Falls are the leading cause of injury and death among roofers.

Steep roofs each employee on a steep roof with unprotected sides and edges 6 feet 1 8 m or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems with toeboards safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems. Osha regulations for roofing focus on fall protection equipment to help protect the safety and health of roofing workers. Personal protective equipment ppe one of the easiest ways to ensure your workers are operating in safe conditions is usually one of the hardest to enforce.