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Check out the archives and you will find too often the announcement of those who have died or are paralyzed for life by a fall from a roof. A few words to the wise: Never forget where you are. Never get too comfortable. Never try to stare down a roof and hope to win. Never ever walk backwards*.

I climb roofs now with felt bottom wading shoes. These are made to wade in running water across slimy rocks. The cost is well worth it. But never trust your life to your shoes. Use some judgement and listen to the internal voice, whether that internal voice sounds like Christ, Gautama Siddharta, Krishna, Yahveh Sabaoth, Sun Myung Moon, the Virgin of Guadalupe, or the great cosmic navel. The only silly superstition is the one you didn't hear because you were being macho.

And I still think Daniel 4:28-37 makes great reading for catadjusters.  Otherwise we are likely to turn into the Applebee's parking lot guy.  And we can all live without the Applebee's parking lot guy.

* Unless this is required for some rope and harness techniques, in which case I will leave it to the experts to explain when one may safely walk backwards.

I was working in OK City in 1990 and a good dud had one of the light metal ladder that fitted a swede into an upset and had two little rubber tips on the bottom. (have not seen one in 20 years) On the way  down on a walkon the darn thing came apart and he put out both hands to catch his backward body fall and broke both wrist  and in a full plaster cast of 12 weeks or longer. His wife drove him home and did many routine things a person does with their hands for months. uhh

Posted By John Pendergrass on 23 Jan 2010 03:35 PM

I get alot of funny looks in the summer time when I put on my US Army leather gloves before I get on a roof, Learned the same lesson as you years ago and tore up my hands, now like you , if it aint looking safe, stay off, rope off, or get help and I always WEAR MY GLOVES,  glad you are OK,

I'll second the glove idea.  I wear mechanics gloves to protect my hands from the abrasion and heat of the roof in the summer, and to keep them warm in the winter.  When properly fitted you can easily handle pens and tools with them on.  Also, I wear Cougar Paws.

Posted By ddreisbach on 26 Jan 2010 11:33 AM

Posted By John Pendergrass on 23 Jan 2010 03:35 PM

I get alot of funny looks in the summer time when I put on my US Army leather gloves before I get on a roof, Learned the same lesson as you years ago and tore up my hands, now like you , if it aint looking safe, stay off, rope off, or get help and I always WEAR MY GLOVES,  glad you are OK,

I'll second the glove idea.  I wear mechanics gloves to protect my hands from the abrasion and heat of the roof in the summer, and to keep them warm in the winter.  When properly fitted you can easily handle pens and tools with them on.  Also, I wear Cougar Paws.

Like what kind are we talking about? where can I get those?

Posted By Meg on 23 Jan 2010 07:58 PM

Posted By Olegred on 22 Jan 2010 07:03 PM
And by the way, you mix Christianity and buddhism/hinduism , both are stupid superstitions.

 

Is there anything you don't voice your opinion about?   I don't care for your language either; quite inappropriate in this environment.  

You certainly are full of yourself, aren't you?

 

Yes he is but he got a wake up call and I hope he heeds it.

Posted By Olegred on 26 Jan 2010 01:15 PM

Posted By ddreisbach on 26 Jan 2010 11:33 AM

Posted By John Pendergrass on 23 Jan 2010 03:35 PM

I get alot of funny looks in the summer time when I put on my US Army leather gloves before I get on a roof, Learned the same lesson as you years ago and tore up my hands, now like you , if it aint looking safe, stay off, rope off, or get help and I always WEAR MY GLOVES,  glad you are OK,

I'll second the glove idea.  I wear mechanics gloves to protect my hands from the abrasion and heat of the roof in the summer, and to keep them warm in the winter.  When properly fitted you can easily handle pens and tools with them on.  Also, I wear Cougar Paws.

Like what kind are we talking about? where can I get those?

You can get them at any auto parts store or Sears.  www.mechanix.com/automotive/the-original-glove

I would suggest that the harness can be found at a sporting goods store as it typically is related to the sport of repelling.  I would read through the posts concerning steep roofs which has information from several that have experience in this area.

I've been adjusting for 20 years and fell off my first and only roof about a year ago. It was raining and cold. My mistake was using the insured's crappy ladder. Always use your own equipment. I was getting off the roof and the ladder was on a wet slick wooden deck. When I put all my weight on the ladder it started sliding on the deck. You couldn't have pulled the the ladder out from under me that fast if you tried.

I fell forward and my shins caught the edge of the roof and my chin hit the roof. This tossed me backward and I landed on the deck in a perfect WWE body slam position and the back of my head slammed into the deck. Mr. Insured witnessed the event and was standing over me asking if I was OK. Mr. Insured's mother in law had died the night before and a house full of women came running out when they heard the racket also asking if I was OK. I said I don't know. Did the old rub the back of the head and check for blood. No blood. Arms work, legs work. Checked out the skinned up shins and said I think I'm OK . Just let me sit here and catch my breath for a couple of minutes. Concluded the claim and called it a day. I was real lucky. Lesson learned I never ever ever use any ladder that is not mine and I did not set up. Don't get in a hurry or cut corners because it's cold and raining. Also a heavy winter coat really helps out when you get body slammed.

About 15 year ago I fell through the roof decking doing hail claims in Shreveport. I was walking along on the roof. Stopped to grab my tape measure and next thing I know rotten roof decking gives way and I"m supporting my weight with my underarms and elbows on the decking. This was a flat roof with roll roofing and no visible signs of rot.  I had to add some drywall ceiling repairs where my feet were kicking around inside the interior room. Ripped up a good pair of pants and shirt too.

Most of the inspections I make have the RC needed and I walk around the house before getting on the roof. I try to guess the SF of living space and the sq,s of the roof. After many years you can get pretty accurate, BUT still measure. I like to look at the roof before the interior and when I see a leak inside I know the cause.On hail/wind I always look for exterior damage on this walk around. I also see the mean dogs, trampolines, other underwriter notes. These notes put you in the hunt to be an "A" adjuster as well as "GOOD photos with good labels and diagrams. The short form Reports are most important and you should not be short, just not long and check your spellingEVER time.

26 October 2009

I was on the very top of a 24 ft extension ladder, roof was high and to reach the roof , the ladder was close to vertical and I threw common sense out the window and made the climb with one person bracing the ladder at ground level and another from a 2nd floor window, the only thing more ridiculous than that set up was the fool (me) that made the climb.

I did not want to give the risk to a steep roof team , so I made the climb and everything that followed was what I deserved.

Coming off the roof to make the downward climb, the person on the 2nd floor was not holding the ladder and I tipped the ladder. I don't remember the accident , I awoke a day later in the hospital, but the police report had statements from the homeowner and the Public Adjuster that was there for the re-inspection with me repping the Insurance company.

I landed on a 4 ft chain link fence and had a compound fracture (through the skin) of my left leg, broken pelvis, 4 broken ribs that separated from my sternum, broken jaw and a fractured skull.

The PA stated that I stopped breathing so he gave me CPR  until the paramedics got there (I guess all PA's aren't all bad : ) He broke my ribs from the CPR, I have since learned that is a common occurrence in prolonged CPR.

I had my jaw wired shut for 3 weeks, my pelvis and skull have healed nicely as they were only fractured. My Ribs took some time but are now good.

When my leg broke , it tore and severed alot of my leg muscle and I had some muscle death and was told I'm looking at over a year till it would fully heal.   As an Independent adjuster I couldn't afford to take a year off and I had the option to have a surgery to put rods in my leg bones for stability and would drastically reduce my recovery, so I went for it , that was in December and as of today, I have been out of my wheelchair for over 3 weeks and can walk with a cane reasonably well.

I had a complication from my skull fracture as an aneurysm developed under the fracture line (blood clot).  I had surgery to remove the nasty and I am looking at being able to go back to work around the middle of May 2010.

I will be looking for a new job as well

because I was fired from the company I was employed by for over 4 years. Don't misunderstand because I deserved to get fired for my stupidity and I just want to let not only new adjusters, but even adjusters with a few years under your belt to know that just one moment of stupidity , a momentary lapse of judgement can not only cost you  your job and families security, but could cost you your life !!

Please learn from my stupidity, reschedule or hand it over to a steep roof team , it's not worth your job or your life !!

                                                                                                                                                                                        Robby Robinson

Why would you get on a 10/12 with algae on it ? Sounds like you survived.I guess you learned a lesson. I am old school. Assumption of risk? This is not a bragging matter. Hold your  cards closer. Good luck.  BECK

Catadjuster X....you really took a hit! Glad you are alive after reading all that. First, it's not particularly stupid to rely on someone to hold your ladder even if it is near perpendicular to the ground. Who do you trust? I take a ladder-helper with me to help tote the ladder late in the day, and to hold fast when I am set up on concrete...a steep situation, et cet. If i have an insured holding it I look down and check if he is and am not hesitant to tell him to hold it better. For a company to release you saying you were somehow negligent is crazy. I don't see anything you did that is different from what we all do. A slight variation in body weight creating a tip? That isn't negligence, that is chance. Yes, there is chance. Good planning and a step at at time is improving your chances, but that is all. I put a ladder on a wet deck *WRONG. The ladder slipped as I was ascending and I luckily was able to grab the gutter and hang until I was ready to drop...the gutter was only about 11 feet...and I am probably 9 with arms extended, but it still seemed aways. I banged my leg on something and it hurt for awhile but that was it. Lesson learned and the carrier paid for the gutter.  Well, not quite....I was on a dewy tarp..and started surfing I threw myself down and grabbed a tarp nailer and then clambered back up. Lesson learned again, but now embedded. No wet roofs, no dewy roofs, no tarps, no wet decks. I had a roofer show me to lean into the slope at all times when the pitch is steep, this is a good thing to do. Otherwise, it is a step at a time. I have never had a client call me on roof edge shots if you take in all slopes.

Jeff Finley

As most of you know, on 26 October 2009 I fell of a 24 ft extension ladder. I was in the hospital for a few weeks with a broken leg, broken pelvis, ribs, jaw and skull fracture. I had two separate operations(pins in my leg/remove a blood clot from my skull). I was wheelchair bound for a few months and to this day I still walk with a cane.

. It took me 9 months to rehab and go back to work.

It is with great sadness that I must report that on 23 April 2011, FOATA member Brian Jones fell from a ladder and severely broke both of his legs.

When I first heard about this I felt sick to my stomach and was and am sincerely heartbroken. Brian is without a doubt one of the best of the best of the next generation of adjusters. Brian has worked steadily since getting into the industry just a few short years ago.

I can tell that I spoke to Brian moments ago, he is in the hospital of course and will be for the next few weeks.

This accident happened not from a 2 or 3 story roof or a 9/12 pitch roof.

Brian fell from a 1 story 4/12 pitch roof. He was inspecting a multi-level roof and on  the one story part of the roof, the insured said instead of going around and grabbing Brian's ladder, to use the insured's ladder. Brian did that and climbed the ladder with the insured bracing the ladder(A  telescoping Gorilla)to mark his test squares. When Brian was done, the insured was not bracing the ladder. He put his first foot a few rungs down. He remembers thinking the insured placed the ladder in a puddle on a smooth finish concrete patio and as he brought his other foot onto the ladder it slid out and he fell the 9 ft to the concrete below. He told me his feet landed flat on the concrete and he fell on his stomach as both legs snapped. The paramedics arrived he is now in the hospital. He has had one surgery to stabilize his legs with rods and screws and pins. He is going to have quite a few more surgeries and looking at a minimum of 6 months to a year of rehab.

Brian is a father to wonderful children and a husband to Summer Jones. Please send your prayers and wishes to:

                                             ky_adjuster@yahoo.com 

It should be noted that both Brians fall and my own fall occured using SOMEONE ELSES LADDER !!!!! RULE #1) DONT USE ANY LADDER BUT YOUR OWN !!!!!!!!

Robby Robinson

Cat Operations Manager

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