Roofing Contractors Cited for Teen’s Fatal Fall

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.

15-year old worker fell to his death at a Cullman, Alabama worksite.

Here at RCS, we try to focus on reporting on the latest industry trends, new technologies, products, services and the good that the industry does in their commitment to giving back. We typically avoid reporting on the negative because we really want to elevate the industry and create a genuine respect for roofing.

However, after seeing this news released by OSHA last week about the death of a 15-year-old boy, the team here took a pause and wanted to ask the question “how young is too young to be working on a roof?” The statement said that the companies were cited “for exposing employees to fall hazards while performing roofing activities without adequate fall protection, and for failing to provide proper training.” In addition, the contractors are being investigated for violating child labor provision violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. 

According to the Department of Labor, the federal child labor provisions were authorized by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 1938 and were “enacted to ensure that when young people work, the work is safe and does not jeopardize their health, well-being or educational opportunities.” An update in 2004 expanded the protections of Hazardous Occupations Order No. 16 that prohibits workers under 18 from working in a roofing occupation to include not allowing workers under 18 from “performing any work on or about a roof or in close proximity to a roof.”

So, the bottom line is very clear – no one under 18 anywhere near a roof. WRAL.com reported that the teenager was described by police as a Guatemalan national living in Alabama. The fall happened after he stepped into an unsupported section of the roof. How tragic. This should have never happened.

Let this sink in and reinforce the importance of safety and training. Rules and guidelines exist for one reason: to keep our workforce safe. Please follow them.

To stay up to date on the latest roofing industry news, sign up for the RCS Week-in-Review e-newsletter.