Committing to roofers' well-being

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Effective training transforms roofing safety, elevating standards in one of America’s most dangerous professions.   

In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, safety director Joe Redd of The Durable Slate Company shares his journey from IT to becoming an advocate for job-site safety. Reflecting on his 20-year tenure with Durable Slate, Joe expresses that safety in roofing — a physically grueling and hazardous industry — is paramount. “Roofing is one of the more dangerous industries out there,” Joe notes. 

Durable Slate’s safety program includes onboarding and ongoing training initiatives aimed at not only reducing accidents but also fostering a deeper respect for the high-risk tasks roofers face daily. Joe describes how the company’s robust onboarding process sets a standard, covering essential skills like ladder setup and roof jack installation on mock roofs. “Nobody who comes on board with us misses training anymore,” he says, a significant milestone that the company has maintained over the past decade. 

To address diverse learning needs, Durable Slate’s training incorporates hands-on learning alongside visual and verbal instruction. Joe shares a compelling example, recounting how a highly skilled but dyslexic employee excelled once training materials were adapted to suit his learning style. This commitment to inclusive safety training, Joe explains, has been crucial to building a more cohesive and competent workforce. 

The impact of this approach extends beyond just compliance. It has built a culture where employees feel valued and secure, with real-life results. Durable Slate’s Experience Modifier Rating (EMR) — a key indicator of workplace safety — has dropped significantly, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings, as well as increased project eligibility and overall team morale. 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about Durable Slate’s evolving safety practices!