Abstract
A 15-year-old male roofer helper (the victim) died after falling 16 1/2 feet from a roof to a concrete basement way while trying to prevent a bundle of shingles from sliding off a roof edge. At the time of the incident, the victim and a 16-year-old co-worker were removing the shingles from the roof of the private residence of his employer. Prior to removing the shingles, the victim and his co-worker had been instructed to carry several bundles of shingles up a ladder and stack them at the roof's peak. When this had been accomplished, the workers began to remove the shingles from the roof with shovels. While removing the old shingles, the victim either struck a bundle of new shingles with his body or with the shovel handle, causing the bundle to slide toward the back edge of the roof. While attempting to stop the bundle of shingles, the victim lost his balance and fell off the back edge of the roof. The victim landed on his back and struck his head on the concrete basement way. NIOSH investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar occurrences, employers should: Know and comply with child labor laws which include prohibitions against work by youth less than 18 years of age in occupations which are declared by the Secretary of Labor to be particularly hazardous (Hazardous Orders). Ensure that appropriate fall protection equipment is available and correctly used when working where there is danger of falling. Develop, implement, and enforce a comprehensive written safety program that includes provisions for training workers in hazard identification, avoidance and abatement. Conduct scheduled and unscheduled workplace safety inspections. Encourage workers to actively participate in workplace safety.
