[Nathan]

I was taking off some switch plates before painting yesterday and I got a little BUZZ. I know I'm suppose to shut off the power before doing that but I never do.

So what about you? How safe do you feel you are on the job? (Poll)

After taking the poll does anyone have good safety tips?
What type of precautions do you roofers take while on the job?

-Nathan

 

[Grumpy]

Dont get me started on OSHA and our recent $6,000 fine.

Our guys are pretty safe, they practice common sense. The thing is OSHA has ridiculous requirements. Our tickets are because we don't DOCUMENT our saftey inspections and because we dont have a WRITTEN saftey plan.

 

[Floorwizard]

I dont keep my pencils very sharp, My calculator has big buttons, I use a soft cushy keyboard pad for my wrists, my truck is insured, and my wife works for the city so I have excellent insurance.

thats about it.

 

[Grumpy]

I dont keep my pencils very sharp, My calculator has big buttons, I use a soft cushy keyboard pad for my wrists, my truck is insured, and my wife works for the city so I have excellent insurance.

thats about it.

FLorcraft you've got it good cause chances are not likley OSHA will force it's way into someones house, but because we are primarily roofers all you have to do is drive by to see us

Maybe I am in the wrong trade. I should be a pimp.

 

[Floorwizard]

Actually I am in sales, so besides a nice comfy chair, I dont see myself being in any danger, OSHA is the warehouses concern. Fax me your card if you decide to become a pimp, there are alot of fishermen up here that could probably use the services, seing how they are on a boat for a considerable amount of time.

 

[pgriz]

We supply all of our employees the appropriate safety gear, and give courses on how to use it.

However, some employees have still gone up on roofs without the necessary security. To them, I have a simple question: if you don't care enough to protect your own life, then how can you convince me that you care enough about the job you're doing for me and for our client? So, it's either you work in a safe manner (which protects the worker, the co-workers, the homeowner, and the business), or you find another place to practice your lack of caring.

Interestingly, the workers who work the best also look after themselves. The others walk, and the quality of work goes up after they leave.

 

[Nathan]

How many of you have let someone go over saftey issues?

 

[hatchet]

Safety is probably our biggest concern on all jobs. Our EMR (Experience Modification Rate) is around .38 which is unheard of for most larger contractors. We have a STOP program, 4 annual safety trainings for all employees, provide all safety equip, weekly jobwide safety meetings, JHA's, STA's.. I could go on.. haha.

 

[Grumpy]

How many of you have let someone go over saftey issues?

We hired a new roofer. He was doing great! He was flying through the squares, knew what he was doing, and didn't bother anyone. After a few days he offered my boss a beer for lunch. My boss said "take your beer and get lost."

Excellent worker but imagine the head lines "Drunk roofer falls off roof"

 

[Humble Abode]

I was taking off some switch plates before painting yesterday and I got a little BUZZ. I know I'm suppose to shut off the power before doing that but I never do.

So what about you? How safe do you feel you are on the job? (Poll)

After taking the poll does anyone have good safety tips?
What type of precautions do you roofers take while on the job?

-Nathan

I voted "safety is our highest concern" and then read your post... I never turn off the power for switchplates or outlet covers.... LOL now that I think about it I should change my vote to "we need to do better."
I'm sure that's true for a few of the people who voted like I did.

 

[Glasshousebltr]

Why should I have to let someone go over safty, if they get hurt, they know I'm burying them in the back yard.

I voted "who's OSHA".......go figure.

Bob

 

[carpenter 1st]

had a new guy ask to go home yesterday because he wasn't feeling good. he looked like crap, so i told him to go on home. I didn't want to get sick! when my brother took the dump truck to the dump that afternoon, buried under some of the tear-off scraps was an empty 12 pack box.(beer,not soda) this situation strangely led to firing one guy who came to work drunk, to hiring a new one today who broke my finger AND my worm-drive saw all at once.(see:safety forum) luckily companies my size don't have to deal with OSHA in kansas. i do know the regs. and try to keep to them, but at least i don't have anyone up my a$$ about it. if i did , i might have to hurt somebody!

 

[Teetorbilt]

There is never an excuse for an employee throwing their own party on your time or site. Around here, booze breath will get you walking papers, pronto. Forget about a reference too.

 

[DecksEtc]

On my job sites the beer doesn't get opened until the job is 100% completed and after all the tools are locked in the truck.

It's a bit of a ritual I have with the home owner - celebrate the finish with a beer!

 

[Teetorbilt]

I can agree with that but only if it's the HO's idea and then it's only 1.

Around here, the person supplying is nearly as responsible as the person drinking if anything goes wrong.

 

[DecksEtc]

In most cases it's offered by the customer. There have been a couple times that I've packed a couple in the cooler to celebrate. It always depends on the customer and their opinion towards it. We get offers from time to time for one in the afternoons (on hot days). All my guys know that nothing is allowed during the work day, unless they want it to be their last day.

 

[Teetorbilt]

I have an employee contract and haven't done this yet but will add it soon.

As a condition of employment: In the event of an accident or injury you agree to a blood test to determine the presence of alcohol, illegal drugs or abuse of prescription drugs. All prescription drug use that may impair any physical or mental abilities must be reported to the office at the beginning of the first working day following the issuance of the prescription. Failure to follow this relieves the employer from all insurance claims (including Workers Comp) and any/all lawsuits.

It needs to be polished by an attorney but was a topic while on vacation. A few guys that I know got hit pretty hard recently for lack of a clause similar to this.

 

[Humble Abode]

As a condition of employment: In the event of an accident or injury you agree to a blood test to determine the presence of alcohol, illegal drugs or abuse of prescription drugs. All prescription drug use that may impair any physical or mental abilities must be reported to the office at the beginning of the first working day following the issuance of the prescription. Failure to follow this relieves the employer from all insurance claims (including Workers Comp) and any/all lawsuits.

That's SOP in every factory or manufacturing job in the contry. Not a bad idea to extend it to contracting.

 

[ConcreteGuy]

May the Almighty help those who test positive for drugs after an accident.

Apart from that, I tell my men that Worker's Comp is no substitute for their value to their families. Being maimed and dependent is a sentence for a lesser man. Sure, you can handle it. Yeah, sure.

BTW: Hatchet, you seem familiar. I work for a large General Contractor in the Southeast.

 

[ConcreteGuy]

The answer is for OSHA to focus on individual workers.