FACTS
- Weather Exposure: Wind, rain, snow, ice, and heat rapidly change surface conditions on roofs and facades, reducing traction and stability without warning.
- Unprotected Edges: Open roof edges, parapets, and leading edges create severe fall hazards when guardrails or warning lines are missing or incomplete.
- Access Equipment Instability: Ladders, scaffolds, suspended platforms, and lifts become unstable when set on uneven ground or exposed to gusting winds.
- Anchor Point Failure: Improperly rated, damaged, or temporary anchor points can fail under load, rendering fall-arrest systems ineffective.
- Swing-Fall Risk: Poor anchor placement on facades increases pendulum movement during a fall, causing workers to strike structures or equipment.
- Surface Fragility: Skylights, roof panels, corroded decking, and facade elements may not support body weight and can collapse unexpectedly.
STATS
- Falls from height remain the leading cause of death in U.S. construction, with 395 fatalities in 2022, many involving roofs and elevated exterior work (BLS).
- More than 50% of fatal construction falls in the U.S. occur from heights of 15 feet or less, showing that even low-rise roof and facade work is deadly (CDC/NIOSH).
- Roofing contractors experience a fatality rate nearly 10 times higher than the average U.S. worker, largely due to fall hazards (BLS).
- In Canada, falls from height are consistently among the top three causes of workplace fatalities, with construction and maintenance workers most affected (CCOHS).
- In British Columbia, Canada, falls from elevation caused over 5,400 injury claims in construction from 2020-2024, including nearly 1,900 serious injuries and 35 fatalities, many involving roof and facade access issues.