Safe Solutions

Titan Roofing, a small but prosperous roofing contracting company, had been in business for a few years. Business had been growing steadily, and Bob, Titan Roofing's owner, looked forward to many more years guiding the company and its 15 employees.

However, one day, a pall hung in the late afternoon air. Bob was sitting in a hospital waiting room as a doctor examined Andrew, a worker Titan Roofing had recently hired. Earlier that afternoon, Andrew had suffered a bad fall—not from a roof but from a ladder.

That morning, Steve, Titan Roofing's supervisor, had prepared his crew for the day's job—a tear-off on a small one-story, low-slope commercial building at a local shopping mall.

The workers knew what safety precautions to take, and Steve had made sure appropriate fall protection was in place. Warning lines were set up, and the workers wore appropriate personal protective equipment. Steve also had made certain 911 had been programmed into several workers' cell phones, as well as his own.

At the job site, Steve instructed the workers to set up two ladders. One ladder was set on firm ground, and the other was set on ground that was muddy. A worker grabbed the second ladder's side rails and pushed it into the mud to stabilize it. On the roof, another worker tied off both ladders as the others brought materials and tools up to the roof.

The day was sunny and warm, and the crew worked through the morning. A designated safety monitor watched workers who were performing work outside the warning lines.

The crew members broke for lunch at noon and descended the ladders one at a time as they had been taught.

At 1 p.m., the workers climbed back up the ladders to continue work on the roof. Andrew was the last to climb the ladder planted in the muddy ground.

Suddenly, a worker called out to Steve that Andrew was sprawled on the ground. Steve quickly scrambled down the other ladder to Andrew, who lay unconscious on the muddy ground. Steve checked Andrew's breathing and noticed it was shallow. There also was a bloody patch on Andrew's forehead.

Steve knew not to try to move Andrew because doing so could damage the young worker's spinal cord. Steve called 911 for emergency medical assistance. He then called Bob and explained what had happened. Bob told Steve he would meet him at the hospital.

An ambulance quickly arrived at the job site, and the medical team took Andrew to a local hospital. At the hospital, a doctor examined Andrew and found he had a concussion and a broken right arm. He brought Bob and Steve into the room and explained that Andrew would be OK but would have to stay in the hospital overnight for observation.

When the doctor left the room, Bob asked Andrew what had happened. Andrew explained he had started climbing the ladder while carrying a pail of tools in one hand. When he had almost reached the top, the ladder shifted in the soft mud and Andrew had lost his balance and fallen.

Even though the fall had not been from a great height, it had been enough to cause serious injuries. The Titan Roofing crew had set up the necessary fall-protection systems but neglected to ensure the ladder was planted on stable ground. And Andrew had only one hand available to help himself climb.

The next day, Bob called his roofing contractors association and talked to a risk-management and safety expert. The expert explained basic steps for job-site safety and urged Bob to take time each week to properly train his employees about how to prevent accidents and injuries on the job.

Later that week, Bob held a meeting for his employees and explained he would hold a new safety program each week.

He started by demonstrating how to set up a ladder properly. First, he explained, workers should carefully inspect the ladder, making sure the rungs and rails are in good condition. They should not have any cracks or corrosion. If a ladder is damaged, Bob continued, it should be taken out of service and tagged "Do not use."

A ladder's feet always should be planted on a stable, even surface, Bob explained. Nothing should be carried up or down a ladder that could cause someone to lose his or her balance. A worker always should face a ladder and use both hands when climbing or descending it. Additionally, Bob told his employees a ladder's base should be 1 foot away from a building for every 4 feet in eave height.

Bob was determined that no injuries would result from a small mistake like this again.

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