Safe Solutions

It was Friday, and Frank, Friendly Roofing's foreman, was glad. The weather had been extremely hot all week, and Frank was looking forward to a quiet weekend relaxing in air conditioning with his family.

Frank and his crew had spent the week tearing off and replacing a built-up roof system over the local high-school gymnasium. To avoid the summer heat, the crew had started work at 5 a.m. and took its morning break on the roof at 8 a.m.

During Friday morning's break, Frank and the crew members were drinking soda and discussing the project's progress. Several crew members were smoking cigarettes nearby. Frank knew smoking on the roof was against Friendly Roofing's safety policy because it was a fire hazard, but he thought allowing the crew members to smoke on the job helped boost morale and productivity.

During the break, Frank noticed paper wrappers, scraps of wood and large amounts of tear-off debris were piled on the roof. Frank told a crew member to make sure the roof was clear of debris before the end of the day; he was concerned that if a storm occurred during the weekend, the debris could plug drains and litter the schoolyard. The crew member assured Frank a crane would arrive after lunch to assist with debris removal.

The crew broke for lunch at 10 a.m. and went to a restaurant near the high school.

As Frank and the crew walked out of the restaurant after lunch, they heard sirens. They weren't concerned until they saw fire trucks parked at the high school. The gymnasium's roof was ablaze, and black smoke filled the sky.

Frank and his crew watched the fire in disbelief. Frank wondered what could have started the fire; he hoped allowing the crew to smoke on the roof wasn't the cause.

Several firefighters were able to control the blaze fairly quickly. But the gymnasium and its contents were destroyed by fire and water damage. Local television and newspaper reporters arrived at the high school to report about the fire.

A week after the fire, a fire-department investigator arrived at Friendly Roofing's office to speak with Frank and Tom, Friendly Roofing's owner. The investigator told them the fire ignited at the southwest corner of the building near a large debris pile. Frank's heart sunk as he realized the crew had taken its morning break in that area.

Frank knew Tom would be unhappy about the fire and its aftermath. In addition, school officials would be displeased with Friendly Roofing's performance and Friendly Roofing would appear unprofessional in the media reports. Frank also knew the fire would require an expensive, time-consuming insurance claim.

The investigator asked Frank whether he had allowed the crew to smoke on the roof. Frank knew the truth eventually would surface, so he sheepishly confessed he had allowed the crew to smoke.

The investigator said a cigarette butt likely was the fire's cause. He said a smoldering cigarette butt can cause a fire to occur long after it is discarded. Tom was angry with Frank for allowing such a safety policy breach. Frank said he was sorry about the fire; he explained he was trying to help build morale and productivity by letting the crew smoke.

In accordance with Friendly Roofing's discipline policy, Frank received a written warning for his safety violation. Frank was an outstanding employee and this was his first violation, but Tom knew it was important to enforce his company's discipline policy fairly and consistently for all employees.

In addition, Friendly Roofing's insurance premium increased because of the adverse loss history created by the fire. Frank now understood the risk of fire was too great to ever allow smoking on the roof.

Bill Steinmetz is NRCA's risk-management consultant.