Responsibilities of Employers When Working on Roofs

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety holds employers responsible for implementing a plan to identify potential workplace hazards. And they must furthermore carry out the appropriate corrective actions, to prevent accidents or injuries arising from these hazards.

It stands to reason that a construction company with a cowboy safety approach is also more likely to cut corners with quality. We decided to share the warning signs of these practices. Then you know what to look for when you ask to see a project in progress. Our secondary objective is to help root out contractors who are risking their employees’ lives, by taking short cuts where care and concern matter most.

Safety and Ladders First in Our Line Of Business

The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association has recognition as trainers by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour and Workplace Safety, and the Insurance Board. They say falls are a major cause of injury and death in Ontario workplaces. The vast majority of these incidents are falls from heights – even though the height may be no more than two or three metres.

They recommend employers provide working-at-heights training, and that “the site supervisor conducts a hazard assessment of the job site, and develops a fall protection work plan”. Falling from heights is a leading reason for injuries and deaths in the Ontario construction industry.

Yet, when you ask some roofing contractors what this means in practice, they are unable to produce a documented safety assessment. Employees know the risks and try to counter them. This can understandably affect the quality of the job. It follows that homeowners should stick to safety-conscious contractors.

These Are the Safety Signs to Look For, For Quality

Fixing sidings, soffits, fascias and eavestrough gutters is a two person job above ground level. That’s someone to help hold the length in position, and the other to secure it. Done correctly, this requires two ladders.

Be careful of fascia and gutter contractors who arrive with a single one. They are going to do everything from the roof looking down. How on earth are they supposed to get the details right in terms of proper slope, height of gutters, adequate shingle overhang, and so on? This is especially true in winter, when the roof has a covering of snow.

We put safety first at Valiant Exteriors, the Calgary family-owned business at your service. We carry multi, safety-complaint ladders and we enforce the two-person rule. Our site supervisors have authority to stop any job that is not safe. They know they have our support. An injury to our team member, would hurt us all.