Roofer Dies after Gust of Wind Knocks Him and a Co-Worker off Roof

Around 11:00 a.m. on a windy fall day, a 73-year-old roofer and a roofing coworker arrived at the commercial construction site to roof a newly constructed building. The two roofers climbed an extension ladder to access the roof to determine where they were going to place their anchors to tie off. While reviewing the backside of the commercial structure, a gust of wind around 33 m.p.h. made the two roofers lose their balance and fall from the roof. The 73-year-old roofer landed first and the second roofer landed on top of him. Both men fell 15 feet and 6 inches and landed on a sloped grassy area. To prevent future occurrences of similar incidents, the following recommendations have been made: Recommendation No. 1: Employers should not allow their roofers to access roofing areas in times of windy, wet, or icy or conditions to prevent falls. Recommendation No. 2: A roofer should use a personal fall protection system during all phases of a roofing job. Recommendation No. 3: Employers should have a written fall protection program in place. Recommendation No. 4: Employers should fully plan their fall protection system before it is used