July 2022 Newsletter
Falls. The absolute worst call any roofing contractor or distributor can get is from someone in the field saying that a roofer/loader has fallen from the roof. During the next few hours, everyone in the company is scrambling to understand how the fall occurred, how serious the injuries are to the worker and where the injured party has been transported. It’s a heart-stopping event. If you’ve been in this industry long enough, you’ve probably experienced a serious fall by one of your workers.
But it’s difficult to imagine two fatal falls within several weeks of each other in the same location. That’s what happened in Teton Village in Wyoming in March and April of this year. One roofer fell on March 8th and succumbed to his injuries and the other roofer fell on April 27th. He passed away as well. News reports indicated the roofers worked for different companies.
I happened on the articles about these accidents while searching for stock pictures of roofers working without fall protection. How ironic. In one of the articles, the owner of the company where one installer worked said it appeared that the roofer did not hook his safety rope to the harness. Most people would say, “Well, it’s an open and shut case of employee misconduct.” But it’s just not that simple. Although I believe the State of Wyoming works under a Wyoming State Plan (not necessarily the same as Federal OSHA guidelines), there is still a lesson here for all of us.
Employee misconduct is not an automatic defense in falls from the roof, even though the employee may have had fall protection on the roof that was not in use. The employer is required to show documentation that employees were trained in all aspects of fall protection. Documentation that this training occurred needs to be signed by every employee who participated in the training. OSHA will also require that safety procedures regarding fall protection are in a written document (and not just a verbal instruction from a superintendent). Additionally, there should be someone in place to monitor the safety of employees on the roof (think field superintendents) and a set of graduated discipline policies that are strictly enforced for infractions. Everything needs to be documented! If you can provide documentation of these actions to an OSHA officer, you may have a better time putting forth an employee misconduct defense. If you have none of these things in writing, your chances of using employee misconduct as a defense are likely to fail.
I say all of this because if companies won’t commit to fall protection for the sake of bringing their people home safe every night, maybe they’ll do it if they’re facing a stiff fine for a fatal fall. I hope that’s not the case.
Please stay safe out there!
Suzie Boyd
Academy Roofing, Inc.
CRA President
THANK YOU to our 2022 Sponsors!
CRA GOLF TOURNAMENT
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022
Join us for our 40th Annual Tournament!
Join us for the CRA Golf Tournament to be held at Riverdale Knolls & Dunes Golf Courses at 13300 Riverdale Road, Brighton, CO 80602 on Friday, August 19. We will be celebrating our 40th annual tournament and can't wait!
Registration is open! Spots still available.
Register Now
CRA Member CIU’s = 1 per person.
Sponsorship Opportunities
We are also still looking for tournament sponsors (Breakfast, Beverage Cart and more). Companies interested in sponsoring this year's tournament or manning a hole are encouraged to contact us. Please email Debbie now for details.
A BIG THANKS TO:
current sponsors!
We need volunteers!
Don't golf? Want to join in on the fun or just earn CIUs?
We are looking for volunteers to help us with our check-in and on-course contests. This is a half day commitment starting at 7:30am until all players have completed the course at approximately 1pm and then you are welcome to stay for lunch and the Awards/Prize presentation. We would welcome the help! Please email Debbie Hathorne if you're interested in volunteering your time on Aug 19th.
Click here to view the full 2022 Event Calendar – calendar includes additional event dates, member luncheons, pinpoint seminars, Training Center courses, etc.
CRA TRAINING CENTER
Facility Rental
NEED A SPOT FOR TRAINING - We just want to remind all of you that CRA’s Training Center is available for your next employee/installer training, certification class or product demonstration. Whether you need to teach a new installation technique, train a new crew or showcase a new product, CRA’s training space offers you a ‘roofer friendly’ indoor environment with class space for up to 30 individuals. The CRA Training Center is located at 1660 Jasper Street, Unit I in Aurora, CO and is designed specifically for roofers and roofing applications. The space can be used for all types of steep and low slope materials and roofing systems. We are ‘application friendly’ and there is no need for you to travel from a seminar room to the parking lot. You will be required to sign a rental agreement. Contact Debbie Hathorne for more nformation/details.
The CRA Training Center is located at 1660 Jasper Street, Unit I & J in Aurora, CO and is designed specifically for roofers and roofing applications. The space can be used for all types of steep and low slope materials and roofing systems. We are ‘application friendly".
WELCOME to 3 New Member(s)…
Meet our newest member(s) who re-joined this past month.
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419 E Juanita Ave #103, Mesa, AZ 85204 | 480.558.7210 Manufacturer |
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1775 Sherman Street Suite 2750, Denver, CO 80203 | 763.242.4603 Trade Services - Legal |
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11250 East 40th Avenue, Denver, CO 80239 | 303.576.3500 Equipment Supplier |
Longtime CRA Member Bruce Stewart Passed Away
Bruce Stewart (66) passed away peacefully at home and surrounded by his family on July 18, 2022.
Bruce was born on January 16th, 1956, in Denver, Colorado to Herbert E. Stewart and Pauline E. Stewart. Later he was joined by four sisters Paula Sue, Nancy, Paula Mae and Carla. He married Vanessa Marie Schwindt on August 16th, 1975 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado. Bruce and Vanessa then started a family and have two sons, Jacob and Joshua. His sons have added to the family their wives Adrianne Aleman and Nicole Eigenberg. They have added three grandsons, Brodrick, Caleb, and Vaughn.
Bruce worked for 21 years at Academy Roofing for his friends of more than 40 years, Curt and Suzie Boyd, which he absolutely loved. Bruce retired from Academy Roofing July 5, 2022. Many of you may also remember Bruce's time with Carlson Systems where he previously gave 25 years of service. He was very active and supportive of the CRA. Bruce never missed a golf tournament except for once or twice and that was because he was at another tournament. He also rarely missed a trade show, awards dinner or membership lunch. Bruce enjoyed good conversations and was known for his wide smile.
When not working or with his family, he was often traveling and loved to play golf.
Bruce loved life and lived it to the fullest. Perhaps, best known for his infectious personality, he brought a smile to the faces of all with whom he came in contact. It was not uncommon for Bruce to make a lifelong friend after only just meeting them. His children and grandchildren were his proudest accomplishments and his unconditional love for them was evident in all he said and did.
Bruce is survived by his wife, Vanessa Stewart, of Parker, Colorado, his son, Jacob, 43, and his wife Adrianne, his son, Joshua, 41, and his wife Nicole. Also, his mother Pauline Stewart, his four sisters Nancy Stewart, Paula Sue Stewart, Paula Mae Kosloski, and Carla Hornung.
May Bruce rest in peace.
Celebration of Life:
Friday, July 22, 2022
6:00 p.m.
New Beginning Community Church
10550 S. Progress Way
Parker, CO 80134
Donations:
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to:
Tunnels to Towers
2361 Hylan Blvd.
Staten Island NY 10306
Western Roofing Expo 2022 | Sep 24-26
Registration is open for the 2022 Western Roofing Expo, taking place Sept. 24-26 at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel.
The Western Roofing Expo features a two-day trade show, 24 educational seminars, two keynote luncheons, The Roofing Games™, golf and sporting clays tournaments, welcome event & auction, live demonstrations every hour on the exhibit floor, and unbeatable networking! Join us September 24-26, 2022 at Paris Las Vegas. More info here.
Arkansas Roofing Employee, Wife Sentenced to Prison for Social Security Fraud.
FORT SMITH, Ark. — A couple from Fort Smith, Ark. is heading to federal prison after defrauding the Social Security Administration (SSA) by claiming disability while simultaneously working for a roofing company.
A release from the Department of Justice Western District of Arkansas states Stephen Wayne Schwartz was sentenced to six months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. His wife, Rebekah Jolea Schwartz, received the same sentence. They were charged with Theft of Government Funds and Aiding and Abetting and ordered to pay restitution, jointly and severally, to the SSA in the amount of $167,756.60. Read more.
Source: Roofing Contractor, July 6, 2022
This month's Building Code updates/notices:
We have a couple update for you this month:
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Boulder, County of - Boulder County updates building regulations to better protect against future wildfires, effective June 6, 2022. Read more.
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Denver, City & County - Denver continues to move through the 2021 code adoption process. The city currently anticipates an adoption date of November 1, 2022, and an effective date of March 1, 2023, for the new building code. Read more.
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Lafayette, City of – Reminder that Lafayette went to a Class 4 Impact Resistant Shingles requirement. Documentation or packaging of Class 4 IR Shingles is required for inspection along with the Inspection Record Card and has been in effect since March 15, 2021. Read more.
Resources you can use!
The Building Code & Standards committee has been working hard to bring you a best practice resource document for low slope roofing applications. We are excited to announce that is done and ready to share with all of you.
We have also developed a "Buyer Beware - Understanding Total System Warranties" page on our website that you can use to help your clients understand that all low-slope warranties are not the same. Check it out.
Have you been using the other resources and tools available on the Member Education Page? You should!
- Material Price Escalation and Volatility Contract Provisions courtesy of HPPS Law.
- CRA Wind Calculator EXCEL
- CRA Moisture Calculator EXCEL
- Roofing Best Practices | Residential/Steep Slope
- Denver's Green Building Ordinance Update - Handout
Have you heard of any upcoming building code changes with any of the municipalities you work with? Please share them with us by emailing the BC&S Committee via Debbie at debbie@coloradoroofing.org.
Newsworthy Safety Items & Information
Preventable Injuries & Citations for 3 Denver Contractors
A worker was seriously injured in a fall from an improperly elevated scaffold after three contractors ignored a manufacturer's safety recommendation. Read more.
Source: OSHA Quicktakes, 07.15.22.
Settlement Agreement After Fall from Roof
An insulation contractor agreed to resolve citations after one worker died and three others were seriously injured after falling from a roof and scaffold. Read more.
Measuring safety programs: E-mods and incidence rates
Today's business world is chock-full of data. Do a little bit of digging and you can find metrics on just about anything. These metrics can help tell your company's story — where you're succeeding, where you can improve, and where you stand head and shoulders above the competition.
When it comes to workplace safety, you can measure your program using metrics such as experience modification (e-mod) and incidence rates. The more information you have, the better a handle you can get on your performance. You might be surprised by what you find out.
Once you have your arms around the numbers, it’s time to take action. By taking a few simple steps, you can make a big difference on your safety culture. Read more here.
Source: Pinnacol Assurance July 2022 Safety 7.70.22 E-news.
National Update: Worth sharing …
A couple key items we felt were noteworthy from NRCA this month:
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NRCA joins letter opposing tax hikes on Main Street employers - NRCA joined a letter with 192 business trade groups and the Main Street Employers Coalition, representing businesses employing millions of Americans in every state and district, to oppose recent proposals that would raise tax rates on individually- and family-owned businesses. According to recent media reports, two tax increases under consideration by Congress would fall entirely on small, individually- and family-owned businesses: one expands the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax to individuals and families who actively participate in their businesses, and the other limits the ability of small, individually- and family-owned businesses to fully deduct their losses during an economic downturn by expanding and extending the so-called “excess business loss limitation” for “noncorporate taxpayers.” Combined, these would increase revenues by more than $400 billion over 10 years, shouldered entirely by small, individually- and family-owned businesses. In the face of a possible recession, 40-year high inflation, unprecedented supply chain challenges and chronic labor shortages, raising taxes on these businesses is the wrong approach and should be rejected. NRCA will continue to keep members apprised of its efforts.
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NRCA joins with the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus to urge immigration reform - NRCA has joined with the Alliance for a New Immigration Consensus in urging Congress to move forward regarding immigration reform in 2022. ANIC is a newly organized coalition of business, faith, advocacy and other stakeholders working to build bipartisan solutions to strengthen border security and provide long-needed reforms to the U.S. immigration system. Recently, there have been discussions among key lawmakers aimed at putting together a bipartisan compromise that would provide improved border security, as well as provisions to provide permanent legal status for individuals with Temporary Protected Status, those eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and other essential workers. With time growing short on the legislative calendar in 2022, NRCA is renewing its efforts with new partners in ANIC to urge Congress to take action regarding this critical issue this year.
Source: NRCA.NET
This month’s highlighted member benefits and tools
ADVISORY NOTICE: Roofing Contractors Must Not Act as Public Adjusters – Check Your Contract Language
The CRA Board of Directors has issued an advisory with additional information and details about these public adjuster clauses we have seen being used in Colorado that basically state that the roofing contractor may negotiate or act as a public adjuster on behalf of the owner. This is against Colorado’s Residential Roofing Law (SB38) and it is required that you must be a licensed public adjuster before you take on this role. Click here to view the advisory.
Concerning Ladder Liability. Help us in educating consumers and concerned citizens about the liability and risks involved with unattended ladders set for inspectors.
CRA Safety Group Workers’ Comp Program. Receive a 4%-upfront discount, group or individual loss history dividend calculation and much, much more. Members of the program automatically belong to the CRA Safety Group whose focus is on continuing safety education and training and improving safety in the roofing community. In partnership with Moody Insurance Agency and Pinnacol Assurance. Call Kim Burkhardt. at 303-824-6600 to receive additional information regarding this program.
RoofersCoffeeShop Free Classified Ad. RoofersCoffeeShop is the premier networking site in the roofing industry, helping contractors find information, materials, services, tools, labor and training in one place. Share ideas and stories in our RCS Forum, and visit their classified ads section to sell and find items and get help. Use promo code CRA for your FREE classified ad.
Colorado Contractors Legislative Advocacy Coalition - CRA partners with several other construction associations to make our voices heard as joint members of the Colorado Contractors Coalition. Together we have successfully passed legislation including payment reform (public and private to 5%), bonding requirements, pro-rata liability and construction defect reform policies. Check out the CCC website for more information and to keep up with our CURRENT advocacy efforts.
Delivery of the E-Newsletter to Your Inbox
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