Roofing workers are a high-risk category of construction workers, with an enhanced risk of death from falls, sunstroke, and other hazards. California’s occupational safety and health agency has announced an initiative that is targeted at helping protect roofers from the severe and hazardous conditions that they face every day.
The California Occupational Safety and Health Agency’s campaign will run between March 1 and November 1, and will specifically target roofing operation inspections to ensure that workers are being provided safe conditions. Those conditions include the training that they require to perform their jobs efficiently and safety. The campaign will also investigate whether workers are being provided the safety equipment that they need to perform their jobs safely.
Fall accidents are a major cause of fatalities involving roofing workers. In fact, according to the statistics, it is a major cause of both injuries and fatalities involving roofing. However, falls among roofing workers are entirely preventable. For example, the use of personal fall restraint systems can play a major role in helping roofers reduce the risk of accidents. During their inspections, state workplace safety inspectors will specifically check if work sites have railings installed on their buildings to help prevent falls.
Another major risk for California roofers is the risk of heat stroke, especially with summer due to begin over the next few weeks. The inspectors will be specifically looking at whether employers have implemented keystroke and heat illness prevention programs to protect workers from these injuries.
If you have suffered injuries in a construction accident, speak to a Los Angeles construction accident attorney about filing a workers’ compensation claim.
