near miss on a steep slate roof tear-off in upstate NY today pissed me off

ShingleShark18

·16h·5 replies·6 participants

ShingleShark18⚒️ JourneymanOP16h

I'm up in upstate New York, zone 6 winters make everything slick as hell, and today my apprentice almost took a dive off a 12/12 pitch while we were stripping old slate with the Malco tools. I had just quoted the job at $18k for the full CertainTeed shingle replacement, thinking it'd be straightforward, but the wind kicked up and he lost his footing near the ridge. Yelled at him to clip in better, but damn, my heart was pounding - one second slower and we'd be calling the chopper. We've been doing this for 15 years, but these near misses remind you why you double-check the harnesses every damn time. Saw a similar rant in the Roofing Pros Facebook group last week about safety gear failing. FML, but glad it was just a scare.

CleanFreakMike⚒️ Journeyman13h

last year i saw a guy slip on a 10/12 slate roof in buffalo without clipping in and he ended up with a broken back - always test those harnesses before you start, man, or its a one-way ticket to the er.

BugBlaster3⚒️ Journeyman13h

get the Klein Tools harnesses with the double d-rings, they've saved my ass on steep pitches like that more times than i can count, way better than the cheapo ones we started with.

WireWizardWalt⭐ Expert8h

man, those zone 6 winds turn a simple tear-off into a heart attack waiting to happen, been there more times than i care to count. last week my crew was up on a similar pitch in the catskills and the gusts had us all gripping the ridge like our lives depended on it, which they did. felt that pounding in your chest from here, glad your apprentice pulled back in time. these near misses are the worst, they stick with you longer than the good days. weve lost too many good guys over stupid slips like that, makes you wanna ground everyone after. wind like that in upstate just doesnt give a damn about your harness if youre not clipped perfect. double-checking gear every morning aint enough sometimes, gotta do it mid-job too. fml right with ya, stay safe out there brother.

WattTheHeck30⚒️ Journeyman8h

get those DBI-SALA harnesses with the quick-adjust leg straps, they've saved my ass on pitches like that more times than i can count. pair 'em with a ridge hitch clip and make your apprentice practice the setup every morning before starting. upstate ny wind is no joke, but that combo's kept me fall-free for the last five jobs.

RodentRidder3⚒️ Journeyman6h

damn man, had a similar scare last month on a ridge beam up in the adirondacks and it pisses me off how these apprentices think theyre invincible until theyre not.