Safe Solutions

Brian Jacobs, owner of Jacobs Roofing Co., was conscientious about safe work practices and ensured his em­ployees participated in regular safety training. He was pleased with his company's safety record of no serious injuries.

One day, a Jacobs Roofing crew was reroofing a house for a longtime, loyal customer. The workers used appropriate fall protection, and each worker wore personal protective equipment, including sturdy work boots, work gloves and protective eyewear.

As the workers tore off the old shingles, a new worker, Manny, removed a halogen security light from the fascia so he could remove the shingles and drip edge. He was careful not to disturb the fixture and tacked the loose light onto the exposed roof deck.

Later that day, Bill, the homeowner, arrived and spoke with Jack, the foreman, who told him work was going well and would be finished ahead of schedule. Bill went into his house and began turning on lights. He went upstairs to the attic he had converted into an office. He turned on the light, searching for some papers. When he found what he was looking for, he went back downstairs, forgetting to switch off the lights; the switch also operated the exterior security light.

The roofing workers completed their work for the day, using tarps to cover the exposed deck and putting their tools and equipment away. They climbed into their trucks and started down the street. Looking back at the house, Manny noticed something peculiar. He told the driver of the truck to stop. Climbing out, Manny saw a small cloud of smoke billowing from the roof. Alarmed, he told the driver to turn around and hurry back to the job site.

When they arrived, Manny grabbed his cell phone, called 911 and reported the fire.

Bill emerged from his house to find firefighters on their way up a ladder to the roof. On the roof, the firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. Another team of firefighters went inside the house and hurried to the attic to make sure the fire hadn't spread inside. Fortunately, there was little damage outside or inside except for some smoke damage to the attic space.

In the meantime, Jack called Brian and told him about the accident. Brian arrived shortly after and spoke with the fire chief and homeowner. The fire chief explained the heat from the halogen light had caused the fire when Bill had switched on the attic light.

Brian apologized to Bill for the fire and told him he would pay to have the attic space cleaned. He asked Bill to allow his crew to complete the job. Grateful that Manny had reacted quickly and called the fire department, Bill agreed.

Back at the Jacobs Roofing office, Brian talked to the crew. Manny apologized for not being more careful but stated he had no idea a light bulb could cause the deck to catch on fire.

Brian contacted his roofing trade association and spoke to a risk-management consultant to learn how he could better train his workers. The consultant suggested establishing a safety committee.

The consultant explained the committee could include representatives from management, superintendents, and/or foremen and workers with experience installing different roofing products. The consultant added the committee could meet regularly to discuss the various hazards that exist on roofing job sites and plan safety and technical training sessions to address issues of concern. An added benefit of a safety committee, the consultant explained, was the employees would feel they had a greater stake in the company's success and work more responsibly.

Brian realized that though his workers had been through numerous safety programs, some hazards related to sources of fire had not been emphasized. The consultant suggested employing a more comprehensive fire-awareness program and training employees for crisis preparedness. Every employee should be trained for emergency procedures regarding fires, falls, chemicals and other potential on-the-job hazards. A safety committee could discuss those hazards and recommend appropriate training.

Brian began establishing a safety committee for Jacobs Roofing, determined to keep every job site safe.

Peter Greenbaum is NRCA's director of education and training media.