Roof Work Safety Toolbox Talk

Project: ____________ · Date: ____________ · Led by: ____________

Roofers die from falls at several times the rate of the average construction worker. The two spots that kill the most people up there: the edge you're watching — and the skylight you're not.

Why it matters

On a roof, the hazard doesn't come to you — you work your way toward it all day, backing toward edges, stepping around openings, trusting surfaces you didn't build. Protection has to be planned before the first bundle goes up.

Key points — cover all of these

1. Know today's system before starting: guardrails, personal fall arrest, or (where allowed) warning lines with a safety monitor. 'Being careful' is not a system.
2. Treat every skylight and roof opening as a hole that will not hold you — cover it, rail it, or tie off. Covers must hold twice the load and be secured and marked.
3. Anchor points: certified, rated 5,000 lbs per worker, positioned so a swing-fall can't slam you into anything.
4. Watch the surface: frost, dew, moss, or a steeper pitch than the last job all change your footing. Wet roof = re-plan, not push through.
5. Keep the roof clean — cords, wrappers, and loose shingles underfoot at height are how a slip becomes a fall.
6. High winds stop roof work. If sheet goods are catching wind like a sail, get them and yourself down.

Ask the crew

The answers are the point — this is where today's real hazards surface.

• What's our fall protection system on this roof today, and does everyone actually have it on?
• Where are the skylights and openings, and how is each one protected right now?
• What's our wind and weather call — who makes it, and at what point do we come down?

The one thing today

Identify every edge and every opening within 10 feet of your work before you start today.

Reference: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.501(b) (roofing work; holes; leading edges)

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