It’s Always ‘Safety First!’ When We Provide Our Commercial and Industrial Roofing Services

Workplace safety is a hot topic in every industry these days – as it should be! Actually, proof that safety in industrial and commercial work has been a priority for several decades now was the formation of OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration – part of the U.S. Department of Labor) in 1970. Forty-five years ago, OSHA was created “to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance,” according to the OSHA website.

While OSHA sets an important standard in the industry, our safety standards meet and exceed those set by OSHA, and we continually enhance our safety program as we are committed to safety in everything we do. The biggest hazard in roofing is a fall hazard, so our number-one priority in terms of keeping workers safe is to implement strong fall protection measures. We train our workers to identify safety issues and mitigate those through the use of company supplied safety equipment and safe work practices. Our workers install safety rails and/or warning lines when the conditions allow to provide the greatest protection. When work is performed at a roof edge, our workers utilize safety monitors or wear safety harnesses and use lanyards for fall restraint and fall arrest.

Highlights of our safety training include:
• All new apprentices attend an OSHA 10-hour training class.
• Our foremen meet on a quarterly-basis to discuss relevant safety topics
• A third-party safety company performs random inspections and training at our job sites.
• We provide annual safety training for all of our employees every spring

These are just some of the measures we take to keep safety at the forefront of our operations. In fact, this year (like we do every year), we’ll be attending the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association Trade Show at the Drury Lane Conference Center in Oakbrook Terrace, January 22nd and 23rd. All of our foremen and superintendents will be attending the OSHA roofing safety presentation that will part of the CRCA conference.

Safety comes first for us at Knickerbocker! We’re proud of our commitment and our employees’ commitment to safety. We work hard and follow our own strict safety guidelines, which meet – and often exceed – OSHA standards. At the end of the day, we just want to get everyone home safely.