Safety on a Roof - Dangers of Doing Your Own Roof

Every year there are job site injuries where the pros get hurt or even die.

Roofing falls, cuts from metal, electrical shocks, eye punctures from flying objects are just a few things that contribute to these injuries. This is the subject of our blog today, Safety on a Roof. Professional roofers must be trained and understand the dangers of working on a roof. The use of safety equipment for each person, guard rails, goggles, equipment training, gloves, and safety monitors help keep the professionals safe while doing this very difficult job. As a “do it yourselfer” you must respect the same dangers of being up on the roof not to mention actually doing the labor of repairing or installing a roof.

Roofing is for the professionals

“It’s not rocket science I can do a roof” I’ve heard those words before and later have been called for help. People sometimes are not aware of how large a roofing job is. From the planning and ordering to the tear-off and reinstallation, it can be overwhelming to a “do it yourself”. After purchasing the materials don’t forget you need to buy or rent the tools and safety equipment to install the roofing if you don’t have them. Like this mom, there some tough folks that just get it done but we want you to be safe.

Some “do it yourselfers” will say they have the tools but trust me, roofing it is more involved than just a saw and a hammer. They may not believe they need some kind of safety equipment and may even get the job done without, but is it worth the risk? Several years ago I did a roof estimate for a family and the man of the house decided to do the roof himself. He seemed like a capable man but fell off the roof while doing the tear-off. He fractured his ankle really badly and never was able to go to work again. He called my company to finish the job and as crazy as it sounds, felt he needed to be up on the roof to supervise, crutches and all. He ended up tripping and fell off the roof again. His wife banned him from going outside for the rest of the job duration. At least he was still alive. The moral of the story is trying to save a little bit of money could end up costing you more.

I have seen many injuries and even death on a job site where skilled professionals have had a lapse in attention that caused an event. DO NOT THINK it cannot happen to you. Hire a professional roofer.

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Disclaimer: The information provided on AskARoofer.com or information sent by emails is the opinion of the writers. It is the responsibility of the reader to check for accuracy in one's own jurisdiction, as there are different codes and restrictions for different parts of the country. AskARoofer.com does not accept any liability for the use of information on this website or email. AskARoofer.com has no controls over product failures, installation, or climate conditions that may change the roofing process in your area. Our information is in general to our area and cannot be the same as your local town or state. It is advised to seek the local Building Department, Licensed Contractor and local Product Representative for proper installation requirements and code enforcement when installing a new roof.