This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
Roofing Contractor logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Roofing Contractor logo
  • Home
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Digital Issue
    • Archives
  • Topics
    • Cool Roofing
    • Low Slope
    • Metal
    • News
    • Products
    • Product of the Month
    • Project Profiles
    • Safety
    • Steep Slope
    • Sustainability
    • Trade Shows
    • Technology
  • Exclusives
    • Best of Success
    • Contractor Profile
    • IRE Show Daily
    • Made in the USA
    • Roofing Contractor of the Year
      • Enter Roofing Contractor of the Year
    • Top 100
      • Enter the Top 100
    • Young Guns
    • Web Exclusives
    • Editor's Choice
    • State of the Industry
    • Century Club
  • Columns
    • Editor's Note
    • Measuring Up
    • Legally Speaking
    • Safety Advice
    • Technical Details
    • Guest Column
    • High-Tech Roofing
    • Sustainable Roofing
    • Marketing Makeover
    • Leadership Selling
  • Blog
    • Damato of the Day
  • Multimedia
    • Roofing Quiz
    • Videos
    • IRE 2019 Videos
    • Webinars
    • Photo Galleries
    • Interactive Spotlights
  • More
    • Classified Ads
    • Roofing Contractor eNews
    • RC Store
    • Directory: Roofing Resource
    • Market Research
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Sponsor Insights
  • Events
    • International Roofing Expo
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Best of Success Conference
  • Contact
    • Advertise
  • Directory
    • Associations
    • Distributors
    • Manufacturer/Supplier
    • Get Listed
    • Business Services
  • Subscribe
    • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
    • Sign Up for the eNewsletter
    • Online Registration
    • Subscription Customer Service
Home » Grant Program Launched to Provide Women with Custom-Fitting Harnesses
Roofing Safety

Grant Program Launched to Provide Women with Custom-Fitting Harnesses

AGC-Women-Harnesses

Photo courtesy of Autodesk.

November 15, 2019
Chris Gray
KEYWORDS Associated General Contractors of America / Autodesk / fall protection / OSHA / safety / Women in Construction / women in roofing
Reprints
No Comments

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — In October 2019, tragedy struck a North Carolina city when a volunteer firefighter and roofing contractor fell 15 feet to her death while working on a roof.

This heartbreaking accident could have been avoided if she had been wearing a safety harness, but even that may not have prevented life-threatening injuries — most safety harnesses are not built to properly fit women.

To help address this, Autodesk Construction Solutions is funding a grant program with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), one of the largest construction trades organizations, to provide select, in-need member contractors with fall protection harnesses sized for women who work at heights.

“The construction industry agrees safety must be everyone’s priority, but we also need to recognize when safety needs aren’t being met for some workers,” said Allison Scott, director of Autodesk Construction Solutions. “Technology is improving jobsite safety, but it’s not a silver bullet.”

The program will fund the purchase of approximately 300 fall protection harnesses sized for women. AGC members can apply for the grants until the application window closes on Jan. 10, 2020. Winners will be honored at the AGC’s annual convention, held March 9-12, 2020 in Las Vegas. Click here to apply for a grant.

Ill-fitting personal protection equipment can range from uncomfortable to outright dangerous. A fall protection harness that is too loose may still catch a woman if she falls from a roof, but might injure her neck or shoulders in the process. The ramifications go beyond the injured worker — the contractor incurs lost time, productivity and possibly a costly worker’s compensation claim.

Additionally, fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can be quite hefty for exposing employees to fall hazards. A contractor in Indiana was hit with $220,249 in penalties for repeated fall violations in August. OSHA states falls continue to be the most cited violation in the construction industry.

“The industry needs more people, and women must feel safe and welcome on jobsites if we want them to choose a career in construction. Ultimately, when we address safety for women, we improve safety for everyone,” Scott said.

The grant program arrives at a time where 68 percent of roofing contractors reported the biggest challenge facing the industry is a lack of qualified workers, as reported in RC’s 2019 State of the Industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports women represent approximately 10 percent of the overall construction labor force.

By acknowledging the benefits of a gender-diverse workforce, such as providing proper safety equipment, roofing contractors can work toward attracting more women to the industry.

“One of the most effective ways to successfully recruit more women into high-paying construction careers is to make sure firms are able to provide safety equipment that makes them even safer,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, CEO of AGC. “We want to leverage these grants to encourage our member firms to provide a wider range of safety equipment and continue to expand the diversity of our workforce.”

Applicants must provide company information, injury and illness incidents from 2017 to 2019 (if able), why they are applying for the grant, and any diversity and inclusion efforts.

For more information and to apply for the grant, visit AGC.org.

Did you enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe to Roofing Contractor Magazine.

Recent Articles by Chris Gray

Roofer Pleads Guilty in Wisconsin Rooftop Homicide Case

Maine Roofing Contractor Facing More Fines After Worker’s Fatal Fall

Contractor Profile: Eau Claire Roofing

Signature Roofing Keeps Residents Going with Free Gas Tradition

POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle System Featured on Lifetime’s Designing Spaces

Chrisgray
Chris Gray is the managing editor of Roofing Contractor.

Related Articles

National Women in Roofing Launches Membership Drive; Announces Funding Grants from Roofing Alliance

Icynene-Lapolla Launches Icynene Pinnacle Customer Loyalty Program

Four Twelve Roofing Launches Program to Donate Roofs to Deserving Families

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Subscribe For Free!
  • Print & Digital Edition Subscriptions
  • Sign Up for the eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Popular Stories

operation-freelancer-viii

16 Unlicensed Florida Contractors Arrested in ‘Operation Freelancer VIII’

ABC logo

ABC Supply Launches myABCsupply to Help Roofing Contractors Manage Business on the Go

ice-river-roofers-save-woman

Roofers Rescue Woman from Drowning in Icy River

Tesla-solar-glass-roof-v3

Tesla Hiring Roofers for Solarglass Roof Installations

gavel-law

New York Signs Laws to Protect Homeowners Against ‘Storm Chasers’

roofing quiz
Roofing Resource

Roofing Contractor Magazine

Roofing Contractor Cover 2019 November

2019 November

The November issue features our Residential and Commercial Contractors of the Year for 2019! Check out our interviews with these outstanding contractors, including video from Best of Success.
View More Create Account
  • Resources
    • Construction Group
    • Partners
    • List Rental
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
    • Survey And Sample
  • Videos
  • Want More
    • Connect
  • Advertise

Copyright ©2019. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing