| Time to dust off your roof safety | | | | • Each level of the scaffold should |
| awareness - as the renovation and | | | | remain in place until it is dismantled; |
| construction craze swings into action | | | | this greatly reduces the harm caused by |
| this Spring and you climb back on top of | | | | people and objects falling within the |
| those homes and buildings. | | | | scaffolding. |
| Spring is an ideal time to tackle roof | | | | • Guardrails on the scaffolding should |
| repairs - the howling winter winds have | | | | be in place at all times. |
| subsided and the searing summer heat | | | | • Easy access for workers, whether |
| hasn't yet arrived. Not to mention that | | | | using a stairway or ladder, should built |
| spring showers are a good indicator of | | | | during the construction of the |
| exactly where those roof leaks are | | | | scaffolding and not after the fact. |
| located! | | | | Wear a fall arrest system |
| Workers risking their necks | | | | Once you're up on the roof, you want to |
| But roof work involves the risk of | | | | stay there. If you're more than six feet |
| falling, which is the leading cause of | | | | off the ground (certainly the case for |
| death in the construction industry. In | | | | all roofs!) you should be wearing a fall |
| fact, falling accidents across all | | | | arrest system, which includes a safety |
| sectors account for a whopping 19 | | | | harness, an anchorage and a deceleration |
| percent of non-fatal injuries at work, | | | | device such as a lanyard, a length of |
| according to the Bureau of Labor | | | | rope or wire that slows you down before |
| Statistics. | | | | you come to a stop. |
| One-third of all deaths in construction | | | | Safety harnesses come in vest and full |
| result from a fall. And the construction | | | | body designs. Full body designs, which |
| industry ranks as one of the top 10 | | | | offer more areas of support, are best |
| deadliest sectors in the U.S. with a | | | | for women and men five feet, seven |
| fatality rate of 22.7 dead per 100,000 | | | | inches tall or shorter. The vest style |
| workers. | | | | works best for men with more mass and |
| Yet you can walk past a construction | | | | height. |
| site pretty much anywhere in North | | | | No matter which design you choose, make |
| America and likely see at least one | | | | sure you have a comfortable fit with the |
| worker not wearing proper fall | | | | buckles and chest strap in the right |
| protection equipment, or wearing it | | | | places. An ill-fitting harness could |
| properly. | | | | injure, or fail to support you, in the |
| Just the act of getting to the roof can | | | | event of a fall. |
| be dangerous! More than 300 people in | | | | Up on the roof, make sure you've got the |
| North America die each year from | | | | right safety equipment - beyond harness |
| ladder-related falls, and countless more | | | | gear, you should always |
| are injured on ladders. | | | | • Wear work gloves to protect your |
| Ladder safety 101 | | | | hands from cuts and abrasions while |
| When you using a ladder, you should | | | | you're hammering in those shingle nails. |
| • make sure the feet of the ladder are | | | | • Protect your feet from dropped tools |
| on solid ground so the ladder doesn't | | | | by wearing a good pair of work boots. |
| shift | | | | • Don a hard hat at all times on the |
| • make sure the ladder is a good safe | | | | job; it should fit your head well and be |
| distance from tree branches and | | | | in good shape. |
| electrical lines | | | | Don't risk your life or your livelihood |
| • do not lean over the side of the | | | | - get the right safety gear and use it. |
| ladder once you are on the ladder. | | | | Cooper Lang is a workplace safety |
| Scaffolding is another big-time source | | | | advocate. He holds a full time job in |
| of workplace injury. The Occupational | | | | an unrelated field; however, due to the |
| Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) | | | | experiences of family in the industrial |
| listed scaffolding as the number-one | | | | sector, he has decided to bring the |
| OSHA violation in 2006. | | | | topic of safety in the workplace to the |
| Tips for safe scaffolding | | | | forefront. He is a freelance writer for |
| • When erecting scaffolding, make sure | | | | - a site dedicated to Workplace Safety |
| that each level has a full deck of | | | | offering unique information on things |
| planks before moving on to the next | | | | like Personal Protective Equipment. |
| level. | | | | |