The impact on the roofing industry of OSHA's newly revised fall protection standard. The impact on the roofing industry of OSHA's newly revised fall protection standard. The impact on the roofing industry of OSHA's newly revised fall protection standard. I appreciate the opportunity to address this matter. Before addressing Mr. Argo's primary concern, I would like to provide you with some information on the new rule.
Falls are the leading cause of death and a major cause of serious injuries on construction jobs.
The standard, which became effective February 6, requires construction employees to provide fall protection to workers who are exposed to fall hazards of 6 feet or more. The public rulemaking record demonstrated that employees in all construction activities covered by the new standard face significant risks related to fall hazards, and that compliance with the revised fall protection standard is reasonably necessary to protect affected employees from that risk. Another BLS study on falls demonstrated that of 110 falls from roofs, half involved workers falling distances of less than 15 feet. Of these workers, over half suffered fractures to one or more parts of their body, over 40 percent suffered muscle sprains, strains or torn ligaments, and 9 percent suffered a concussion. OSHA, therefore, concluded that falls of less than 16 feet pose a significant hazard and that workers exposed to such falls should not be unprotected.