Inspection Detail

Inspection: 304976855 - White Roofing, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Denver Area Office

Investigation Summary

On May 20, 2002, two employees who both only speak and understand Spanish, employed by White Roofing, Inc., were working on the roof of a residential home under construction in Broomfield, Colorado, in the Aspen Creek subdivision of The Broadlands. These employees were evidently rolling out and laying the roofing felt. Employee #1 who fell was wearing a body harness and approximately 25-feet of lanyard equipped with a sliding safety catch mechanism. Employee #1 was working on the two-story roof above the front entrance to the home when he fell. After his fall to the front concrete steps and porch of the home, it was discovered that his sliding safety catch mechanism was adjusted so that he had the full 25 feet of lanyard exposed, while his falling distance was approximately 17 feet. Therefore, Employee #1 had too much lanyard exposed for the amount of distance he was working off the ground. Employee #1's signed tool-box training sheet stated, "SAFETY ROPES AND HARNESSES MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES WHILE ON ROOF AND SLACK IN ROPE MUST BE ADJUSTED". This was signed by the injured employee on May 17, 2002, only 3 days prior to his 'fall' accident date. Also, the injured employee had attended SS Rojo's Fall Protection Training Class at the Denver Merchandise Mart on April 3, 2002. Fortunately the concrete steps and porch that he landed on were still wet, since they had just been poured and finished this same day. Employee #1 sustained contusions from the fall and was hospitalized.

Keywords: ROOF, ROOFER, FALL, FALL PROTECTION, CONTUSION