Whenever a job entails working several stories above the ground, the risks are going to be high. In 2011, 56 roofers died on the job.
But while falls are the most common peril roofers face, there are many other dangers, including electrocutions, chemical exposures and hoisting accidents, such as when materials slip from a pallet as it's being raised.
Roofers also handle a lot of hazardous materials on the job, like coal tar pitch, according to Gary Menzel, the business representative for Local 11 of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers outside Chicago.
Safety measures such as ensuring safety harnesses are in sound condition and barriers near roof edges are set up properly, have helped reduce fatalities. But this is still one job that is rife with dangers.
