Date of incident: October 2022
Notice of incident number: 2022181740012
Employers: Roofing company; construction company (prime contractor)

Incident summary
A roofer at a residential construction site was installing a waterproof membrane on the low-slope roof of a gazebo. The roofer fell off the roof from a height of approximately 3.5 m (11 ft. 6 in.) to 3.7 m (12 ft. 2 in.) and landed on the ground. The roofer sustained fatal injuries.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Unprotected roofer fell from height. The roofer was not using a fall arrest or fall restraint system while on the roof where there was a fall hazard of greater than 3 m (10 ft.). There were also no engineering controls such as guardrails or scaffolding at the leading edges of the roof.

Contributing factors

• Lack of occupational health and safety program. The prime contractor did not have a health and safety program. Had an adequate program been in place, it would have addressed health and safety topics, such as unsafe conditions and practices.
• Inadequate oversite and coordination. The prime contractor failed to maintain a system to ensure compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and to ensure the safe coordination of the work activities at the worksite.

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