DOI
10.34068/aic.50.01.02
Abstract
This study examines 52 heat-related roofing incidents recorded by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) between 2003-2024 to describe patterns in outcomes and identify trade-specific prevention opportunities. Researchers built a structured dataset from OSHA investigation summaries and analysed frequencies of the incidents and their associations with month, time of day, project type, end use, and age to complement a thematic review of narrative abstracts. Fifty-eight percent of cases were fatalities, with the remainder split between hospitalized and non-hospitalized injuries; these statistics underscore the consequences of heat events that trigger OSHA reporting. There was a clear relationship between number of incidents and season, with nearly 70% of incidents occurring from June to August (although the month was not associated with severity). Time of day showed the highest raw counts of fatalities at midday, but the association with severity was not significant. Project type was the strongest contextual factor, with fatalities disproportionately concentrated in maintenance and repair. Even though it was not significant, there was an overrepresentation of fatalities in single-family and duplex dwellings. The abstract narratives reinforced these findings, highlighting early hospital care as protective and unresponsiveness or collapse at height as a tipping point. Findings support the case for continuous summer controls, rapid escalation to medical care, and targeted planning for maintenance and repair tasks conducted at elevation.
Recommended Citation
Sands, Kenneth S. II and Marshall, Benjamin
(2026)
"Heat-Related Injuries and Fatalities in Roofing: OSHA Investigations from 2003-2024,"
The Professional Constructor: Vol. 50:
No.
1, Article 2.
DOI: 10.34068/aic.50.01.02
Available at:
https://open.clemson.edu/aic-journal/vol50/iss1/2
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