General Roofing Safety
When installing a roof there are many safety guidelines that should be followed by all workers involved. Installing a new roof on a house or building is a dangerous task, but with proper safety equipment and following proper safety procedures can lessen the chances of accidents.
Inspecting the area around the building that is to be roofed is the first step in insuring proper safety procedures. One should make sure that there is no debris around the job site. Signs should be posted in around the building informing other workers to wear hard hats and to be cautious of falling debris from the roof. If the structure to be roofed is still in the construction process, an inspection should be done checking all of the brackets to make sure that framework that supports the roof are sturdy.
Before installing a new roof the top of the building should be checked for any weak spots, holes, chimneys and or skylights. If the structure does have a chimney or skylight the location of the skylights and or chimney should be marked off around them.
All ladders should only be placed on level ground and one should make sure that the ground is not soft or uneven. If the ground is soft, stakes should be used in the ground for the legs to be tied to. This insures that the ladder is more stable when the ground is soft. The top pf the ladder should be tied off to the structure also. The rungs of the ladder should be free of dirt, oil or other debris. Making sure that the rungs are clean will prevent one from slipping when climbing the ladder.
A safety harness should be worn at all times. The harness should first be checked to make sure that there are no flaws. A safety rope should be securely attached to the harness and the anchors that are attached to the roof.
Safety glasses and hardhats should be worn. Safety glasses will help to protect the eyes from and flying debris or worse rouge nails. Hardhats will protect the head from bumps and falling debris. Wearing these two basic pieces of safety equipment is essential in almost any phase of the construction process.
By following these basic rules and having a safety plan on site will help to reduce the number of accidents.