Further, to reduce the amount of effort required to transfer data between dissimilar information systems, it is necessary that there be an industry wide movement to standardize product codes and communications methods. The combination of technological advances in software and the systemization of construction management methods should make the integrated database concept a realistic and powerful tool that should provide meaningful gains in efficiency and profitability to owners, designers, suppliers, and contractors alike. It involves heavy lifting, as well as climbing, bending, and kneeling. Roofers risk injuries from slips or falls from scaffolds, ladders, or roofs, and burns from hot bitumen. In fact, of all construction industries, the roofing industry has the highest accident rate.
Roofers work outdoors in all types of weather, particularly when making repairs.
The above description of the working conditions experienced by laborers performing roofing work was provided by the US Department of Labor s 1998-99 Occupational Outlook Handbook . Those poor working conditions coupled with the fact that the home is a dominant architectural structure in human society, make the choice of the home construction industry an attractive automation arena worthy of further investigation. Despite this fact, automation opportunities in the home construction industry remain relatively unexplored and are looked upon as being difficult to implement and even unnecessary. In this context, the authors of this report strongly believe that an opportunity analysis relating to the home construction sector would be meaningful. Although home construction involves a myriad of activities which may be considered candidates for automation, the activity which immediately stands out, for the above mentioned reasons, is roofing.