Jobsite Safety

What You Need to Know About Commercial Roofing Projects

Meta: Learn how to build a safe job site for your next commercial roofing project. These steps protect contractors, building occupants and building owners.

Commercial roof safety is essential as it impacts insurance costs, workers’ compensation payments and roofing project timelines. Hiring the right team to manage and oversee your project is essential to managing liability and completing projects on time.

Since 1974, Domack Restoration has been providing high-quality commercial roofing. Throughout the decades, we’ve prioritized job site safety in the following areas.

Commercial Roofing Jobsite Safety

For nearly 50 years, Domack has been protecting its teams with the best job site safety. Take a look at these commercial roofing job site safety tips.

  1. Follow All OSHA Guidelines

Take time to learn the Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. Some tips worth noting include proper ladder use, wearing helmets on the job site and ensuring team members have proper training before getting started.

While some people view OSHA as an annoying set of laws they must follow, in reality, these guidelines are in place to protect everyone – including general contractors and building owners. All commercial building owners should have a general knowledge of these laws to be able to interview various contractors to ensure they are prepared to comply with all regulations.

  1. Provide Fall Protection

Working on a roof has an inherent fall danger that comes with the work. But when a roof presents a fall hazard of six feet or more from one level to another, your roofers should use a personal fall arrest system (PFAS). These systems prevent workers from hitting the lower level thanks to a harness or lifeline.

But you can’t just provide fall protection. Roofers need to know how to use the devices properly. The harness must fit snugly and the D-ring for the harness must be centered across the roofer’s shoulder blades.

  1. Come Equipped for the Job

Every roof and building is different and requires various tools and roofing methods to create a safe building barrier. Some projects necessitate guardrails while others just need harnesses for the roofers.

And as the roofer considers the necessary equipment, they’ll also need to consider what staffers need to be on-site to manage the project. For example, having a designated person watching for falls and risks can help reduce the chance of an incident.

Before starting a project, the roofing team should flag the ground below to make others aware of where debris might be falling. That way, there is a clear area around the job site that is marked for possible debris to avoid injuries.

  1. Ensure All Team Members Receive Proper Training

Safety equipment is only worthwhile if the team knows how to use it. All workers must undergo extensive training and have the necessary experience to work on the specific project. This helps maximize safety because the worker knows what to look out for and ways they can contribute to a safe worksite.

And ongoing training is just as important as initial worker training. Roofers should require all employees go through refresher courses and training to recognize dangers and ensure they use safety equipment correctly at all times.

  1. Provide Team Members with Proper Breaks and Hydration

Working in the elements can make workers dehydrated quickly, even in the wintertime. Don’t be fooled that just because it’s not hot roofers don’t need to hydrate. The work is grueling no matter the time of year and requires ample energy and proper hydration.

Physically demanding jobs require that employees consume approximately seven ounces of water every 15-20 minutes. Proper hydration ensures that workers keep their wits about them to stay alert for the safest environment.

  1. Coordinate with Other Contractors

Building projects involve many contractors. And even if you’re just giving your building a facelift or renovation, there is likely more than one team of contractors involved.

Coordinating with other contractors about day-to-day activities and what to expect can help keep everyone safe and prevent foreseeable hazards.

Clear communication about timelines and what will be happening each day can go a long way. Taking time to meet with other contractors who will be on-site at the same time as the roofers can help prevent accidents.

  1. Consider What Building Occupants Might Be On-site During the Project

The hard part about commercial building projects is that they often proceed while the building is operational. That means there will be people on site who know nothing about job site safety. In that case, safety is the roofer’s responsibility.

Some ways the roofing team can help protect a building’s occupants during a project include:

  • Coning around trucks and heavy equipment
  • Blocking off vehicular and foot traffic near staging sites or where debris might be falling

Commercial Roofing and Waterproofing in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. For more than 40 years, Domack Restoration, LLC has been providing commercial roofing and restoration services for all of Connecticut, Westchester County, New York, and Southern Massachusetts. We focus on high-quality work. This ethic is ingrained in us, which is the reason for our tradition of excellence. Our work is well built, durable, and reliable.