# Safety Talks



## krwertz (Jul 24, 2009)

The purpose of this thread is two-fold. 

First, I would like to share the safety talks that I write for roofing industry (Free - No strings). They can be found at www.roofingsafetytoolbox.com and can be translated on that site into a number of different languages. 

Second, I would like you (as an individual interested in roofing safety) to share your safety talk resources, stories, ideas, etc. Quite simply, it gets tough to come-up with good content for safety talks and I need all the help I can get. 

There are other resources on www.roofingsafetytoolbox.com too. So if you can recommend safety policies, web-based safety videos, etc. I will post them on that site and thereby make them available to roofers as a means of preventing needless injuries.

If you would like to contact me directly, e-mail [email protected]. :thumbup:


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## Ed the Roofer (Sep 15, 2008)

Thank You, Thank You, and Thank You some more.

That will be a great resource and addition to this site.

I do have several safety talk items on my office computer and will add to this collection of resources too.

Plus, a safety manual and policy for roofing contractors, which I scraped off of someone else's site, so I can not post it, but can share it via e-mail.

If anyone wants it, contact me at [email protected]

Ed


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## 2ndGen (Nov 23, 2008)

This is what's really turned me off in Roofing.

Today, people are so ready to cash out and sue you if they fall of your roof while working for you, so I've backed off of the idea of having my own crews.

Question: 

If you properly outfit your crew meeting all of OSHA's requirements (harnesses, scaffolding, ladders, etc...) and someone falls because of their negligence or failure to apply what you taught them, how liable are you as the contractor even though you did everything by the book?


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## peterjames (Apr 14, 2010)

Thanks for sharing roofing information in your website.
When building a new house, one of the most important things to consider is that you may run into problems. Knowing what these problems are and planning for them ahead of time can save builders valuable time and money. Constructing a house, however, comes with many common problems, which can be avoided or addressed properly when needed.
Choose the right products when building the roof for proper roof ventilation, which is important so that the roof doesn't rot due to aging and weather. Build roof overhangs to help protect the sides of the house during rain storms. Use roofing felt paper as it is critical to maintain the fire rating of roof shingles. Invest in a high performance vapor barrier to resist moisture through walls, ceilings and floors. Minimize noise between rooms and floors by using the proper noise insulation materials.


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## jimsonburg (Aug 4, 2010)

Thanks for sharing valuable information in your website. After reading your site I feel that there are many steep-roof safety devices to choose. These devices include ropes, slings, full- and half-body harnesses, perimeter rails and catchers, cleats and roof jacks among other items. However, perhaps 80 percent of installers do not use these safety devices. More contractors are requiring that their crews use approved safety devices when climbing and working on steep roofs.


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

2ndGen said:


> This is what's really turned me off in Roofing.
> 
> Today, people are so ready to cash out and sue you if they fall of your roof while working for you, so I've backed off of the idea of having my own crews.
> 
> ...


 If you can prove through documented safety manuals and documented safety meetings that the worker was trained, and you can prive with photographs that the safety equipment was present at the time of the accident then you can usually get out of the fine.

When I hire people and have safety meetings and I tell them these are required by law they almost always tell me the same thing "I've been roofing X years, and we've never done this before."


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## RemStar (May 8, 2010)

You are 100% liable no matter what happens. If someone falls and they were following the rules oh&s will still investigate, and if everything was done to right you will avoid getting the fine and jail time. In Canada shit rolls down hill and the contractor can spend time in jail for neglecting to inforce OH & S safety standards.

Don't ever expect that the old "Your fired before you hit the ground" policy you joke about will ever hold up. If one of your workers gets hurt to a extent that they are no longer to work daily you can be dam sure they are going to pursue compensation.


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

If they can't roof anymore, put them in the office licking envelopes to avoid a disability suit. 

Yes with OSHA you are guilty until proven innocent, but with the right documentation you may be found innocent.


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## Interloc (Apr 6, 2009)

RemStar said:


> In Canada shit rolls down hill and the contractor can spend time in jail for neglecting to inforce OH & S safety standards.
> .


 Havent seen this in Canada or OH&S,just WCB


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## RemStar (May 8, 2010)

Well, I don't know if it has been in forced yet, and I should have said the liability for a incident rolls uphill. It was part of a new amendment they made a couple years back making the "employer" responsible for ensure safety measures are being followed.

If a "employee" gets hurt because they neglected to follow the safety rules that were set in place, the liability is automatically transfered to the "employer" due to the fact that the "employer" is not showing due diligence in the matter of enforcing the safety measures that have been set out. If the "employer" was enforcing the measures, the incident would never happen in the first place. It is the "employer's" responsibility to enforce the safety rules at all times.


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## Interloc (Apr 6, 2009)

Ya that happens,around here the employee and employer git it...IMO there a waste of money,..personally i think it should be employers responsibilty to make sure employee has his own ins.then there covered 24/7 the rest is just 95% common sense...and yes there is accidents but thats where ins. pays off...


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

Then what would happen is the employee, who is now a sub contractor since he has his own insurance, would get a policy but then because it's cheaper he would exempt himself. He'd provide you with a certificate of insurance showing he has insurance, you'd provide that at your insurance audit, and you'd now be exempt from paying insurance on him... all is fine and well until he falls off the roof. His insurance doesn't cover it because he's exempt, then the lawyers get involved, you get sued and in turn refer it to your insurance... And then Canada becomes the United States becsause that seems to be how 99% of United States roofing companies seem to operate. 

I feel the employer should be responsible for the insurance, like you said, that way you know the worker is covered. But it's expensive, that's why people look for loop holes. I also think negligent employers should be responsible for fines if there is an injury or unsafe working enviroment. But at the same time an employer who can prove their commitment to safety with documented safety meetings, documented internal safety write-ups etc... should have some degree of protection against a negligent employee who knows the rules but chooses to ignore.

Around here get caught without the proper fall protection? $5,000 fine. That opens up a can of worms. 2nd offense? Well double it. Have a written safety manual? NO, 5k fine. Have documented weekly safety meetings? No, $5k fine. At the end of the day one offense can cost upwards for $20k or more. However if you have the documentation to prove you carry safety meetings, have a safety manual, and your employee was trained on the specific offense and he was negligent, not you, I have heard tale of OSHA throwing away those citations/fines. We got tagged once, and out of 4 citations they dismissed all but one and we negotiated that down to less than half what they originally were asking.


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## Interloc (Apr 6, 2009)

Grumpy said:


> Then what would happen is the employee, who is now a sub contractor since he has his own insurance, would get a policy but then because it's cheaper he would exempt himself.


 This would be part of employers responsibilty to make sure there not exempt. Theres guys here who do have ins. and there covered at work/play 24/7 and they dont have to deal with WCB. You get some pencil pushing office geek showing up on jobs telling ya how to run the show,its a joke and a waste,just another way for the govt. to get money from us.IMO


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## RooferJim (Oct 20, 2008)

I agree with you interloc, just another way to get in your wallett.


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## Grumpy (Oct 29, 2008)

I'm not sure if you are saying the employer should pay for the insurance or the worker should pay for the insurance. I'm also assuming we are talkign GL/WC when we use the word "insurance". Can you clarify?

Over here, there are way way too many loop holes if the worker gets his own WC and GL.


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## Interloc (Apr 6, 2009)

I'm saying that the responsibilty of employer is to make sure employee has his own non exempt insurance, and the employee should have to sign something that clearly states that he is going on roof and takes full responsibilty of any injuries,which if he has his insurance he'll be alrite finacially,hopefully its not a bad fall,but as i've said before safety is 95% common sense...


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