Abstract: Employee #1 and a coworker, both roofers, were starting to lay felt paper on the roof of a two-story, wood-frame building at an apartment complex. Earlier, another crew had resheeted the roof. The coworker was laying the paper and Employee #1 was behind him, tacking it down. The roof had 7 ft by 8 ft rectangular openings above each set of stairs. The higher side of these openings was 20 ft 6 in. above a concrete pathway, and the felt paper extended 1ft 6 in. beyond the edge of the higher side of the opening. Employee #1 apparently stepped on the felt paper, thinking the roof surface was beneath it. He fell through the opening and sustained very severe head injuries. The coworker stated that he saw Employee #1 just as he was falling. The opening was not protected with any railings, nor were the roofers using safety belts and lanyards as fall protection.