The Safety Roofer: You As A Safety Man.

Introduction:
Only you will protect yourself.

Safety Strengths:
-It's the believe of many that the safety officer's duty is to keep us safe; false.
-The worker keeps his own self safe.
-The employee implements the safety program.
Lesson learned:- If you are a safety roofer, you are a strong worker.

Healthy Attitude:
-You are productive and valuable.
-You are motivated and have a clear mind.
-You are a healthy worker, happy and financially stable.
Lesson learned: A safety roofer is a happy roofer.

Disabled Attitude:
-You can't bring food to the family's table, you will depend on settlement
and/or worker's compensation.
-Examples of injured fellow co-workers.
-You, your own asset.
Lesson learned: A disabled roofer creates a disabled family.

Fatality Attitude:
-You are completely terminated.
-OSHA fatality records, fall from roof -roofers 43(p) year 2002.
-Your family pay the price.
Lesson learned: A dead roofer delivers a poor family.

Real Life:
-So many cases around us.
-Our kids suffer the consequences.
Lesson Learned: Dead or disabled roofer, poor kids.

The Meaning Of All These:
-Be a roofer and a safety man at the same time.
-Safety is yours as an individual and as a team.

Marcos Munoz
Outreach Trainer

Roofing Experience Part I.

I remember that first time going up a ladder to the roof -my hands were cold, my heart was beating fast, my legs were trembling and my whole body and soul was shaking. I was terrified because it was my first time in a construction roofing job! Somehow I kept the 5 points of contact when climbing that ladder -of course, OSHA states 3 points of contact; but due to my circumstances I was more stringent applying this rule to myself.

At that specific moment I did not know anything about OSHA or safety rules!
I wanted a job in order to bring food to the family's table; and when I saw the asphalt fumes going sky high -my new fellow co-workers were working with hot stuff, I kept a 20 Ft. distance from such stuff. I had no idea what the heck was going on. I just knew that I was going to be paid US$40 per day. My new co-workers briefed me about company policies -if you work hard the boss will give you a raise of US$5.00 a day. Another guy told me that if I don't set paper I wouldn't be able to work the 5 days of the week; of course I had to pay back for such wonderful information by helping the paper setter specialist organizing his rolls and being promptly there when he stretched his arm to grab a roll and set it.

This gentleman was my first roofing teacher -Roberto "Chinaman" from Nicaragua. He defended me from the Guatemalan timekeeper oppressor, he introduced me to the foreman in charge Luis Perez -another gentleman from Cuba but tough like a legionnaire. My greatest weakpoint was my English, because many workers considered that I would be able to climb the corporate ladder faster than many of them -the timekeeper ex-Guatemala soldier decided to teach me who was boss there, and he did; once, he hit my chest open-handed and invited me to a gun duel John Wayne/Gary Cooper type of. I was defecating in my pants, and scared to oblivion -but another co-worker friend came to my rescue and talked the would be killer out of the duel -he always had two guns in his pick up truck. That was a close one.

Time to do a root cause analysis...

Marcos Munoz
Outreach Trainer

Double Valuable

As safety roofers we become of double value to our companies, because we are producing value when we install quality roofs for our customers -and safety value, as when we work safely it brings down the cost of medical expenses due to less injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace.

Which company in this marketplace wouldn't like to have Safety Roofers -double valuable workforce? Which corporation wouldn't like to have knowledgeable workers who help the company to keep the EMR below 1?

Those companies that appreciate double valuable workmen will be the ones that thrive in the roofing business -ROI will continue growing exponentially by having such workforce! Take heed CEOs -your in place safety program along with your workforce and your safety officers will make this wonderful ROI experience a reality.

Forget the double valuable workforce -the safety roofer- and eventually your EMR will go sky high that you will not be able to bid construction jobs; soon you will confront the harsh reality that the other company -your competitor- will be the one getting the contracts; and your ROI will sink finding yourself out of the marketplace.

Our main goal in the Roofer Safety Site is that together -the company executives, middle managers and the workforce gain the safety knowledge and make the proper application in the workplace. Together we shall be successful and share the wealth accordingly.

Marcos Munoz
Outreach Trainer