Fall Protection Analysis for Workers on Residential Roofs

Abstract

Safety during residential roof construction and repair activities is of significant concern since many injuries occur, especially as a result of falls. The Hawaii Occupational Safety and Health Division of the Hawaii Department of Labor commissioned a research project to investigate this matter. This study involves an evaluation of existing regulations, construction practices, and alternate fall protection measures. It is found that the current state of compliance is poor; fall protection plans are not prepared as required, and positive safety measures such as guardrails and personal fall arrest systems are not used. The reasons for this are many, including the extreme competitiveness of the home building and roofing industries, unsafe worker behavior, design difficulties, conventional construction practices, and a lack of knowledge. Fall protection regulations are misunderstood, and the fall protection plan is particularly prone to poor implementation. For fall protection systems to be implemented voluntarily, they must be feasible, simple, economical, protective, and flexible. Several systems were analyzed for their ability to meet these criteria. The most promising systems included prefabrication of the roof system and personal fall arrest systems use. This paper presents the findings of the study and recommendations for optimal enforcement with an aim at reducing fall injuries.