Installing and repairing roof systems is difficult work that requires skill and craftsmanship to protect a building from the elements. What makes it even more challenging is that the work must be performed at elevation where workers are exposed to unprotected roof edges, unguarded skylights and hatches and roof decks that may not have the structural integrity to hold workers, material and equipment.
The latest numbers on workplace fatalities from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that 66 roofing company employees died from falls in 2013, up from 65 in 2012 and 61 in 2011.