A roofing job is a dangerous job in California or anywhere else, but California officials this summer are responding to the dangers that roofers face. Cal/OSHA has initiated a safety awareness campaign aimed exclusively at roofers, who recently have suffered more than their usual share of injuries. If you’re injured or you become ill working as a roofer in California – or at any other job – you have the right to be compensated for your medical care and your lost wages. File a workers’ compensation claim immediately after a work-related injury with the help of an experienced Los Angeles workers’ compensation lawyer.
From 2012 through 2014, Cal/OSHA conducted 126 investigations of California roofing accidents. A full three-quarters of those accidents happened at sites that were in violation of state safety regulations. Falls are, not surprisingly, the leading cause of death and serious injury among roofers. Most falls, however, can be prevented when roofers and their employers adhere to safety regulations. In 2013, for example, a roofer named Leopoldo Retana fell to his death at a job site in Ventura. Investigators found Retana was not using any safety equipment. Earlier in 2013, Ernesto Rosales fell from a roof in Pico Rivera and died five days later. Cal/OSHA fined his employer $39,600.
Cal/OSHA’s “Roofing Maximum Enforcement Program” is being conducted this summer through November 1. This program will help to ensure that employers provide the necessary training and safety equipment to protect roofers on the job. If you’re injured on the job in southern California, it is imperative that you speak to a good workers’ comp attorney as quickly as possible. In southern California, obtain the advice and help you need by speaking with an experienced Los Angeles workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as you have received the initial medical treatment for your injury. Don’t wait or hesitate – make the call promptly.