Every day, roofing workers climb steep slopes, endure extreme heat and engage in physically demanding tasks that put them at significant risk of injury. For decades, the industry has made commendable strides in traditional safety. Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance, fall-protection systems and training, ladder safety, personal protective equipment and best practices are now standard expectations on job sites nationwide. These measures have saved lives and prevented injuries.
However, roofing professionals are recognizing a broader responsibility that goes beyond physical safety. As the workforce changes and expectations evolve, many contractors are asking: What does it truly mean to protect our workers?
The concept of total worker well-being is an integrated, holistic approach that not only addresses the prevention of injuries and illnesses but also promotes health, mental resilience and quality of life. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health created the concept formally known as Total Worker Health,® which urges employers to consider everything that affects a worker’s performance and long-term health.
Shifting paradigm
NIOSH defines Total Worker Health as “policies, programs and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness-prevention efforts to advance worker well-being.” This can include stress, fatigue, mental health, hydration, nutrition and even financial security. In high-risk occupations such as roofing where even brief lapses in attention can result in serious injury, addressing these factors is just as crucial as wearing the right PPE.
Casey Chosewood, former director of NIOSH’s Office for Total Worker Health, sums it up this way: “A safe worker is not just someone who avoids injury. It’s someone who shows up healthy, alert and supported in every way that affects their ability to do the job.”
Historically, safety programs have focused on compliance, ensuring job-site practices align with OSHA standards to prevent incidents such as falls, electrocutions and struck-by accidents. These efforts remain critical, but contractors are encountering new challenges among their workforce such as chronic stress, burnout, substance misuse and mental fatigue. These can lead to more serious outcomes such as serious injury, fatalities and even suicide. These issues can directly affect safety, performance and crew cohesion.
Roofing workers often face a perfect storm of physical risks and psychological stress. Long hours under extreme weather conditions, irregular work schedules and physical strain can take a toll on even the most experienced workers. Add to that personal and family challenges that could include lack of access to health care and stigma surrounding mental health, and it becomes clear simply handing out PPE is no longer enough.
According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roofing workers had a fatal work injury rate in 2023 of 51.8 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, which is lower than the rate of 57.5 in 2022; however, it remains significantly higher than the average for the construction industry.
In 2023, the construction industry as a whole experienced 1,075 workplace fatalities, but construction workers are five to six times more likely to die by suicide, overdose or consequences of addiction than in a job-site accident. This is a stunning statistic, yet it shows mental wellness should be as important as physical safety.
Mental health and job safety
A worker who is physically present but mentally distracted because of off-the-job pressures is at greater risk of making a critical error. This also is known as presenteeism, when an employee is physically present but not fully engaged or productive.
Unaddressed issues also can lead to lost productivity, absenteeism, missed deadlines, safety risks and errors. These can happen for many reasons, such as illness, stress or mental health issues, and can ultimately affect team dynamics, productivity and overall workplace morale.
If a worker is running on minimal or no sleep, upset about something at home, or reporting to work hungover or impaired, there are likely warning signs the worker is struggling. Other signs something isn’t right might include missing a critical step or warning, snapping at a co-worker, checking out during safety talks or forgetting important information, potentially placing themselves and others at risk. By addressing mental health risks alongside physical hazards, you can help enhance focus, strengthen decision-making and teamwork, and realize overall improvements in job-site performance.
Total worker well-being
Recognizing these challenges, a growing number of roofing contractors are integrating mental health into their safety cultures.
The concept may seem complex, but implementation often begins with simple changes. Supervisors who enforce regular water breaks and check in with crew members set a tone that encourages openness and self-care. Scheduling work earlier in the day during the summer, providing shaded areas and hydration stations, and incorporating discussions about stress and fatigue into toolbox talks are practical steps that can yield measurable benefits by making it acceptable to bring well-being into the conversations about physical safety.
In practice, this means addressing not just what happens on a job site but also the broader context of a worker’s life that affects his or her ability to stay safe, healthy and productive.
This can include:
- Mental health and substance use educational support
- Fatigue management
- Healthy eating and hydration habits
- Positive job-site culture and worker engagement
In the roofing context, total worker well-being might also involve scheduling flexibility to manage heat stress; offering counseling resources; or simply creating space during safety meetings to talk about stress, sleep and emotional well-being.
Kara McCaffrey, part-owner and chief wellness officer for Houck Services, Harrisburg, Pa., says her company’s employee assistance program had few, if any, employees taking advantage of the free service. As a result, company leadership began informing employees about the EAP so they knew it existed and what it could do to help. Employees received texts and emails about the EAP, and the company created posters, newsletters and toolbox talks. Following these efforts, the average number of referrals to the EAP per month increased fivefold.
But programs, procedures and training requirements can only do so much. Job-site culture determines whether total worker well-being strategies take root. The most effective efforts go beyond compliance to create environments where workers feel heard, supported and safe speaking up. That starts with leadership.
When leadership normalizes conversations about mental health and wellness, workers begin to see well-being as part of the job and not a personal issue to hide. Encouraging peer support and proactive check-ins, especially during extreme heat or tight project deadlines, can help identify concerns early. Some contractors use daily briefings not only to review tasks and hazards but also to ask how workers are feeling or whether anyone needs support.
Asking how workers slept, offering extended breaks during heat waves, or connecting crew members to local counseling or recovery resources may seem like minor gestures. But over time, such actions build trust, reduce turnover and foster a culture where safety and well-being are inseparable.
By embracing a more comprehensive view of worker health—one that encompasses mental, physical and emotional resilience—roofing contractors can lay a foundation for long-term success.
Challenges
Of course, implementing a holistic well-being strategy isn’t without challenges. Small- and mid-sized firms often cite cost, lack of staff and fear of overstepping into personal territory as hurdles, but many aspects of total worker well-being require more intention than investment.
However, long-term benefits can outweigh short-term costs. Fewer injuries mean lower workers’ compensation claims. Improved morale can enhance productivity and retention, which can be boosted by showing workers they are valued beyond their output.
“In the long run, investing in worker well-being isn’t just ethical. It’s strategic,” Chosewood says. “Healthy, engaged workers are safer workers. And safer workers are more productive, loyal and resilient.”
The future
Looking ahead, technology will continue to influence safety and well-being practices. Wearable sensors that alert crews to dehydration, apps that promote safe lifting techniques, and predictive analytics that help schedule breaks based on environmental data are already being tested in construction settings. These tools can be powerful but only when paired with a culture that genuinely supports health and safety.
In addition, surveys show younger employees value mental health support, flexibility and purpose. Roofing firms that adapt to this shift not only will attract stronger talent but also will lead the industry into a safer, more sustainable future.
Total worker well-being is not about replacing traditional safety. It’s about completing it. A roofing worker may wear a harness, but if he’s dehydrated, depressed or burnt out, risk remains. By embracing a more comprehensive view of worker health—one that encompasses mental, physical and emotional resilience—roofing contractors can better protect their teams and lay a foundation for long-term success.
As an industry, we are in a unique position to redefine what it means to protect our people. By integrating safety with total well-being, we can elevate not just how we build roofs but how we build the workforce beneath them.
CHERYL AMBROSE, CHST, OHST
Vice president of enterprise risk management
NRCA
