Developing a safety-above-all mindset

By The RIDGEPRO.

Making safety a core value of your company’s operations can put your mind at ease and let you focus on important matters.

What the first thing you think about when you arrive at the jobsite in the morning? If it’s, “How many squares can we get done today?” you’re seeing only a part of the picture. A roofing project, large or small, is a complex operation with rapidly shifting dynamics and some of them are out of your control.

Inclement weather, for example, can turn a routine job into a hazardous, slippery mess that keeps your crew off the roof for the day. Or, you arrive at your distributor to learn that the manufacturer’s truck carrying your special order of Class H hurricane shingles is broken down on an interstate highway two states away. Or, your team lead’s spouse has just gone into labor. Or… (you fill in from your own list of job surprises). You’ve been there and know that anything can happen and often does. 

Delays can reasonably make any roofer frustrated and furious. Lost time = lost dollars. Too much of that can mean a lost business that took you years to build. Let’s face it; it’s easy to get distracted by the obstacles that pop up out of nowhere and seem undeserved. When that happens, it’s time to take a break and focus on what IS under your control.

Safety as a core value

The most critical and controllable part of any job on any day is staying safe. Workers need to adhere to safety protocols on the ground and particularly when working at height on a roof. When an accident with injuries occurs, all work stops. The personal toll for the injured crew member can be serious and long lasting but the entire crew suffers emotionally as well as from a disruption of their rhythm and efficiency. Additionally, the job’s profit margin probably just flew out the window.

However, when safety is a core value of your company it will be at the the top of each day’s to-do list. Obviously, once you commit to the concept you’ll need to take steps to make it real. Fortunately, they’re easy and intuitive. It all starts with your own commitment and making it plain to the team that safety comes first on each and every job. Here are a few steps you can take:

1. Share your vision for an injury-free workplace with all employees and subs. Let them know you feel strongly about keeping them safe on the job and it’s not just about the money.
2. Share the load by stressing that each member of the team also carries the responsibility for staying safe.
3. Let them know that reporting safety issues will be met with a positive response and real action to correct the problem.
4. Provide daily opportunities such as quick huddles to review particular safety opportunities such as railings around roof openings or coping with weather conditions. Encourage feedback and ideas for change.
5. Implement them.

Putting it into practice

Seeing things in writing is often helpful. You’ll need a Fall Protection Plan for each job that covers the specific fall exposures you can expect there such as ladders, roof edges, skylights, muddy terrain, etc. List the fall protection equipment and gear that will be used including personal fall restraint and arrest systems, The RIDGEPRO®, etc. On the plan, delineate procedures for an injury. Who calls 9-1-1? Who immediately handles any rescue needed? Who writes the report?

As a roofing professional, you have a lot on your mind. Making safety-above-all a core value and a routine part of your company’s operations can put your mind at ease and let you focus on important matters such as how many squares you can get done today.