Such protection is too expensive
A few months ago, Jose Olvera fell eight feet from the roof of a one-story home in Hereford, Ariz., a remote desert town near the Mexico border. Working without a harness or other systems that can stop falls, the 64-year-old veteran roofer died on the scene from a head injury, according to a county medical examiner.
Mr. Olvera, like many other residential construction workers, had worked for decades atop Arizona's homes without protection to stop or prevent a fall. A previous tumble broke his arm so badly that a plate had to be implanted, said his stepdaughter, Yusbi Soriano.
The family that runs Cochise County Roofing and Referrals, which employed Mr. Olvera, said it had never considered using netting, guard rails or safety harnesses for workers on one-story houses.
"It was devastating," said manager Carla Reaves, referring to the worker's death.
Many contractors say such protection is too expensive or can create new problems. But other contractors say such protection can saves lives. With a growing number of residential construction workers dying from fatal falls in recent years, the federal government has started requiring fall protection even for one- and two-story buildings as part of an initiative to address problems on residential construction sites.