Rooftops are hazardous jobsites. So hazardous in fact, that the roofing industry ranks as number six on the list of top 10 most dangerous occupations, and roofing workers are three times more likely to suffer a fatal or life-changing injury.
To help reduce workplace injuries for our roofing industry policyholders, State Fund introduced a pilot program to provide training and monetary incentives to roofing policyholders who adopt and adhere to a roofing safety addendum in their Injury and Illness Prevention Program. /p>
Available to policyholders who meet specific criteria, those who enroll in the Roofing Safety Incentive Program receive free on-site training, conducted at job sites where employers and their employees are performing actual work. The primary focus of the training is fall protection, the #1 injury-causing hazard in the industry.
The pilot, which started in January, is a year-long commitment for participating roofers, and we’re just past the midway point for those who were the first to enroll. We’ll have workplace injury data from the program by late 2017, but early feedback from participating roofers provides some positive insight.
Courtesy Roofing—one of the first companies to sign up for the pilot—has completed the first phases of the program, including specialized training to educate workers on best safety practices. When asked for feedback about the training, owner Victor Ortiz said it helped reinforce the importance of workplace safety and provided additional knowledge about Cal/OSHA requirements.
Now halfway through the program, Victor has received the second of three incentive payments, and purchased new tools to replace worn ones. He’s using the rest as a bonus for his workers.
This innovative incentive plan helps policyholders like Victor protect employees and improve safety at job sites. It’s just one way State Fund is working to reduce workplace injuries in a hazardous industry and help our roofing policyholders stay on top of safety.
