Wind-Blown Roofing Materials Strike Worker

A Colorado roofing company was completing a residential roof replacement during a period of changing weather conditions. Bundles of asphalt shingles had been staged on the roof earlier in the day to improve production speed and reduce trips up and down the ladder.

As afternoon wind speeds increased, several bundles and loose shingles were left unsecured near the upper roof area. A sudden gust lifted loose shingles and carried them across the roof surface. One worker was struck by airborne shingles while moving materials near the eave. The impact caused the worker to lose balance and fall against the roof surface, resulting in bruising, a shoulder strain, and a near-miss fall exposure.

Although the injury was not catastrophic, the incident revealed several serious safety gaps that could have led to a fatality or a major OSHA citation.

What Happened

The crew began work in the morning under calm conditions. Shingle bundles were delivered to the roof and placed in multiple staging areas. Some bundles were opened before installation, leaving loose shingles stacked but not secured.

By early afternoon, wind conditions changed. The crew continued working without reassessing material storage, housekeeping, or exposure to airborne materials. Loose shingles remained staged on the roof and were not weighted down, tied off, or moved to a safer location.

A gust of wind lifted several shingles from the work area. The shingles struck an employee who was working downslope. The worker instinctively turned away from the impact and lost footing. Fortunately, the employee did not fall from the roof, but the event created a serious struck-by and fall hazard.

Key Contributing Factors

The incident was not caused by one single mistake. It was the result of multiple preventable conditions happening at the same time.

First, loose shingles were left unsecured on an elevated surface. Roofing materials can become airborne when wind conditions change, especially on sloped roofs where materials can slide, lift, or tumble.

Second, the company did not have a clear weather-monitoring procedure. Wind was treated as a general inconvenience instead of a changing jobsite hazard that required reassessment.

Third, materials were staged for production efficiency, not safety. The crew prioritized having materials close to the work area, but the staging locations increased exposure to workers below and downslope.

Fourth, there was no formal stop-work trigger for wind conditions. Crews were left to make judgment calls without clear company expectations for when to secure materials, relocate materials, or pause roof work.

Potential OSHA Concerns

This type of incident can create exposure under several OSHA construction standards and general safety expectations, including:

Housekeeping and material storage requirements
Protection from struck-by hazards
Fall protection requirements for roofing work
Employer responsibility to identify and correct recognized hazards
Training requirements related to jobsite hazards and safe work practices

Even if the injury is minor, OSHA may look at whether the employer had a reasonable system in place to prevent materials from becoming falling or flying objects.

Corrective Actions

After the incident, the company implemented several corrective actions.

All loose shingles, underlayment, tools, fasteners, and debris must be secured or removed from the roof when not actively in use.

Shingle bundles may only be staged in controlled areas and must be positioned to reduce sliding, falling, or wind uplift hazards.

Crews must check weather conditions before starting work and reassess wind conditions throughout the day.

A designated competent person must have authority to stop work when wind creates unsafe conditions.

Material staging must be included in the pre-task safety plan before roofing work begins.

Workers must be trained to recognize struck-by hazards created by loose materials, wind, roof pitch, and work location.

Supervisors must verify that materials are secured before breaks, lunch, weather changes, or end-of-day shutdown.

Lessons Learned

This incident shows how quickly routine roofing work can become dangerous when materials are not controlled. A bundle of shingles may seem harmless when sitting flat on a roof, but loose shingles can become dangerous projectiles during sudden gusts.

For roofing contractors, struck-by prevention should not only focus on tools or falling objects. It must also include material staging, roof housekeeping, wind conditions, and worker positioning.

The most important takeaway is that production efficiency should never override material control. The few minutes it takes to secure loose shingles can prevent injuries, property damage, OSHA involvement, and a serious fall event.

Recommended Prevention Measures

Use a daily pre-task plan that includes weather, roof pitch, material staging, fall protection, ladder access, and struck-by exposure.

Keep only the amount of material needed for immediate work on the roof.

Secure opened bundles and loose shingles when they are not being installed.

Avoid staging materials near edges, eaves, access points, or downslope work areas.

Assign one person to monitor changing weather conditions.

Create a written wind policy that defines when roof work must pause or materials must be secured.

Train crews to stop work when materials begin shifting, lifting, sliding, or becoming difficult to control.

Document inspections, toolbox talks, and corrective actions.

How Colorado Safety & Compliance Can Help?

Colorado Safety & Compliance helps roofing contractors identify hazards before they become injuries, citations, or insurance issues. Our jobsite audits, written safety programs, toolbox talks, and corrective action plans help contractors stay productive while reducing preventable risk.

For roofing companies, we can help build practical systems around fall protection, ladder safety, material handling, weather-related hazards, subcontractor compliance, and OSHA documentation.

This type of incident is preventable with the right planning, training, and field-level accountability.