Compliance Management for Roofing Contractors
Handle working at height compliance and warranty documentation with digital tools built for roofing.
The Challenge
Roofing contractors work in one of construction's most dangerous environments - falls from height remain the biggest killer in the industry. Every job requires working at height risk assessment, edge protection or harness systems, and weather monitoring. Teams spread across multiple jobs make compliance monitoring difficult, and warranty requirements demand installation documentation that paper systems struggle to maintain. When HSE investigates a fall or a manufacturer disputes a warranty claim, you need comprehensive evidence that proper procedures were followed.
How Assistant Manager Solves Roofing Compliance
Each module is designed to address the specific challenges roofing businesses face every day.
Checklist Management
Roofing work varies from large commercial contracts with full edge protection to small domestic repairs where pressure to skip safety checks is greatest. Digital systems must enforce compliance regardless of job scale
The Problems
Why This Matters for Roofing
- Pre-start working at height checks are rushed or skipped when teams are under pressure to complete jobs quickly, especially on smaller domestic works
Falls occur because edge protection was inadequate, roof conditions were not assessed, or fragile materials were not identified - leading to serious injury and HSE prosecution
- Manufacturer warranty requirements specify installation procedures and photo documentation, but crews do not capture what is needed until warranty claims are rejected
Warranty claims are denied because you cannot prove installation was per specification, costing thousands in remedial works that should be covered
The Solution
How Checklist Management Helps
Mandatory pre-start height safety checklists with photo verification, manufacturer-specific installation checklists with required photo capture points, and job-cannot-proceed gates for critical safety checks
Every job has documented height safety verification before work starts, installation documentation meets manufacturer requirements for warranty support, and compliance is consistent regardless of job size
Use Cases:
- • Pre-start working at height safety checks
- • Edge protection installation verification with photos
- • Fragile material identification and control documentation
- • Harness and anchor point inspection records
- • Manufacturer-specific installation checklists
- • Weather condition assessment before work starts
- • Job completion and sign-off documentation
Feature Screenshot
Checklist Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Pre-start working at height checks are rushed or skipped when teams are under pressure to complete jobs quickly, especially on smaller domestic works
Real Scenario
"A roofer falls through a fragile roof light he did not know was there. HSE investigation finds no evidence of a pre-start fragile materials check. The crew leader says he did a visual inspection but there is no documentation. Prosecution follows."
Example 2: Manufacturer warranty requirements specify installation procedures and photo documentation, but crews do not capture what is needed until warranty claims are rejected
Real Scenario
"A flat roof fails after 18 months. The manufacturer requires photos showing membrane overlaps, detail work, and material batch numbers. You have one photo of the completed roof from a distance. Warranty claim is denied. Remediation costs £15,000."
Employee Scheduling
Roofing is weather-dependent and requires specific competencies for safe execution. Scheduling must handle the dynamic nature of roofing work while ensuring only qualified people perform high-risk activities
The Problems
Why This Matters for Roofing
- Workers are sent to roofing jobs without verification of working at height training, harness training, or CSCS card validity
Unqualified workers perform high-risk roof work, and HSE investigation following incidents finds competency gaps that demonstrate management failure
- Weather makes roofing work unpredictable, but rescheduling multiple jobs across dispersed teams is chaotic without visibility of crew locations and availability
Crews are left waiting when weather clears, jobs are delayed unnecessarily, and programme promises to clients are broken
The Solution
How Employee Scheduling Helps
Scheduling with integrated competency verification for height work, real-time crew location visibility, and rapid rescheduling capability for weather changes
Only trained workers are assigned to roof work, weather-related rescheduling is quick and coordinated, and you can optimise crew deployment in response to changing conditions
Use Cases:
- • Working at height training verification before assignment
- • Harness and rescue training confirmation
- • CSCS card validity checking for all roofers
- • First aider allocation across active jobs
- • Weather-responsive job rescheduling
- • Crew location tracking for coordination
- • Subcontractor gang scheduling and availability
Feature Screenshot
Employee Scheduling
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Workers are sent to roofing jobs without verification of working at height training, harness training, or CSCS card validity
Real Scenario
"A young worker on his second week falls from a domestic roof. He had basic CSCS but no working at height training. He was wearing a harness but did not know how to use it properly. Investigation reveals no competency check was done before he was assigned to roof work."
Example 2: Weather makes roofing work unpredictable, but rescheduling multiple jobs across dispersed teams is chaotic without visibility of crew locations and availability
Real Scenario
"Rain stops work on three jobs at 10am. Weather clears at noon. It takes until 2pm to reorganise crews because nobody knows who finished early, who went home, and who is available. You lose half a day of productive work across the business."
Time & Attendance
Roofing crews work at dispersed locations, often on domestic properties without site offices. Time and attendance must work without fixed infrastructure while providing the verification needed for safety and billing
The Problems
Why This Matters for Roofing
- Crews working on domestic jobs start and finish without verification, making it impossible to confirm hours worked for billing or to know crew locations during the day
Billing disputes arise over hours, and if an incident occurs, you do not know immediately that something is wrong
- Saturday and overtime working is common in roofing, but verifying actual hours worked versus claimed is difficult without site-based supervision
Labour costs are inflated by unverified overtime claims, or workers feel underpaid because their hours are questioned
The Solution
How Time & Attendance Helps
GPS-verified clock-in at job locations, periodic check-in requirements for lone and remote workers, and timestamped records for billing verification
You know where every worker is at any time for emergency response, hours are independently verified for accurate billing and pay, and lone workers are monitored for safety
Use Cases:
- • Job-based clock-in with location verification
- • Periodic check-in for lone and remote workers
- • Automatic alerts for missed check-ins
- • Overtime and weekend working verification
- • Travel time tracking between jobs
- • Working Time Regulations monitoring
- • Subcontractor hours for payment verification
Feature Screenshot
Time & Attendance
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Crews working on domestic jobs start and finish without verification, making it impossible to confirm hours worked for billing or to know crew locations during the day
Real Scenario
"A roofer falls at 2pm on a domestic job. Nobody knows until the homeowner calls at 4pm wondering why the work stopped. Two hours pass before anyone realises there is an injured worker. If you had known he stopped checking in, you could have responded immediately."
Example 2: Saturday and overtime working is common in roofing, but verifying actual hours worked versus claimed is difficult without site-based supervision
Real Scenario
"A crew claims six hours overtime on a Saturday job. The customer says they left at 1pm. Without verification, you either pay overtime you are not sure was worked or create conflict with your team."
Training & Development
Roofing requires both safety competencies (working at height, harness use, rescue) and technical competencies (manufacturer certifications for warranty work). Training management must handle both dimensions
The Problems
Why This Matters for Roofing
- Working at height training, harness training, and roofing-specific competencies expire at different intervals and tracking across the workforce is manual
Workers with expired training continue performing high-risk work, and incidents reveal competency gaps that demonstrate management failure
- Manufacturer training and accreditation are required for warranty-backed installations, but keeping track of which workers hold which manufacturer approvals is difficult
Installations are completed by workers who lack required manufacturer certification, voiding warranties and creating liability
The Solution
How Training & Development Helps
Comprehensive training management with working at height, harness, and manufacturer certification tracking, automatic expiry alerts, and job assignment blocked for uncertified workers
All safety training is tracked with advance renewal alerts, manufacturer certifications are current and verified before warranty work, and competency gaps cannot result in unqualified workers on jobs
Use Cases:
- • Working at height training with refresher tracking
- • Harness and fall arrest system training
- • CSCS roofing category card verification
- • Manufacturer system certification tracking
- • First aid and rescue training for roof work
- • Asbestos awareness for re-roofing work
- • IPAF certification for powered access
Feature Screenshot
Training & Development
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Working at height training, harness training, and roofing-specific competencies expire at different intervals and tracking across the workforce is manual
Real Scenario
"HSE investigates a fall and checks training records. Your experienced roofer has not refreshed his working at height training in four years. His harness training expired two years ago. Your spreadsheet shows him as current because nobody updated it when renewals were due."
Example 2: Manufacturer training and accreditation are required for warranty-backed installations, but keeping track of which workers hold which manufacturer approvals is difficult
Real Scenario
"A single-ply membrane installation fails. The manufacturer asks for evidence of installer certification. Your lead installer has certification, but he was on another job that week. The crew who did the work are not certified. Warranty is void."
HR Management
Roofing contractors work as both main contractors on direct contracts and subcontractors on larger projects. Documentation systems must support both roles and the different requirements each creates
The Problems
Why This Matters for Roofing
- Roofing contractors use subcontractors for specialist work or to handle capacity peaks, but subcontractor documentation is not systematically managed
Subcontractors with inadequate insurance, expired certifications, or poor safety records work on your jobs, creating liability you cannot defend
- Principal contractors and main contractors increasingly require evidence of your compliance systems before allowing you on their sites
Work opportunities are lost because you cannot quickly demonstrate your safety credentials and workforce competency
The Solution
How HR Management Helps
Subcontractor documentation management with insurance and certification tracking, pre-qualification response templates, and safety performance dashboards
Subcontractor compliance is continuously monitored, pre-qualification responses are fast and comprehensive, and you can demonstrate your safety credentials to win work
Use Cases:
- • Subcontractor insurance certificate monitoring
- • Supply chain competency verification
- • Right to work documentation tracking
- • Pre-qualification questionnaire responses
- • Safety performance statistics compilation
- • Vehicle and equipment insurance records
- • Professional body membership tracking
Feature Screenshot
HR Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Roofing contractors use subcontractors for specialist work or to handle capacity peaks, but subcontractor documentation is not systematically managed
Real Scenario
"You bring in a subcontractor gang for a large contract. One of their workers falls. Investigation reveals their employer's liability insurance lapsed a month ago. As principal contractor, you face liability you thought was covered by their insurance."
Example 2: Principal contractors and main contractors increasingly require evidence of your compliance systems before allowing you on their sites
Real Scenario
"A main contractor wants to add you to their approved subcontractor list. They ask for method statements, training matrices, insurance certificates, and safety statistics. Compiling this takes two weeks. They go with a competitor who responded in three days."
Risk Assessment
Roof conditions and weather create dynamic risks that require ongoing assessment, not just a one-time document. Risk assessment for roofing must be a live process that responds to actual conditions
The Problems
Why This Matters for Roofing
- Every roof is different - pitch, fragile materials, access, weather exposure - but risk assessments are often copied from job to job without site-specific consideration
Risk assessments do not reflect actual conditions, controls are inappropriate, and incidents occur that proper assessment would have prevented
- Weather conditions change during the day, but risk assessments are written at the start and not updated when conditions deteriorate
Workers continue in conditions that are no longer safe because nobody reassessed the risks when weather changed
The Solution
How Risk Assessment Helps
Site-specific risk assessment with roof type prompts, fragile material identification requirements, weather monitoring integration, and reassessment triggers for changing conditions
Every roof is specifically assessed before work starts, fragile materials are identified and controls specified, and weather monitoring prompts reassessment when conditions change
Use Cases:
- • Site-specific working at height risk assessment
- • Fragile material survey and control specification
- • Weather condition assessment and monitoring
- • Edge protection requirement determination
- • Access and egress route assessment
- • Rescue plan development for fall arrest
- • Dynamic reassessment for changing conditions
Feature Screenshot
Risk Assessment
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Every roof is different - pitch, fragile materials, access, weather exposure - but risk assessments are often copied from job to job without site-specific consideration
Real Scenario
"A roofer falls through a plastic skylight on an industrial roof. The risk assessment was copied from a previous domestic job and made no mention of fragile materials. Nobody had walked the roof to identify the skylights before work started."
Example 2: Weather conditions change during the day, but risk assessments are written at the start and not updated when conditions deteriorate
Real Scenario
"Wind speed at 8am was 15mph. By 2pm it is gusting to 40mph. The morning risk assessment said conditions were acceptable. Nobody formally reassessed. A roofer is blown off balance and falls. Investigation finds no evidence of ongoing weather monitoring or reassessment."
Incident Reporting
Roofing near-misses are valuable early warnings of conditions that could cause fatal falls. Incident reporting must make near-miss capture effortless while ensuring serious incidents are properly reported and investigated
The Problems
Why This Matters for Roofing
- Near-misses on roofs - slips, near falls, caught harnesses - go unreported because workers see them as normal hazards of the job
Warning signs are missed until a serious fall occurs, when investigation reveals multiple near-misses that could have prompted intervention
- Falls from height are RIDDOR reportable, but the specific criteria for when roof incidents require reporting are not always clear to supervisors
Reportable incidents go unreported, and HSE discovers this during investigation, adding failure to report to the original incident
The Solution
How Incident Reporting Helps
Simple mobile incident and near-miss reporting with working at height specific prompts, automatic RIDDOR determination, and trend analysis to identify patterns before serious harm occurs
Near-misses are captured easily to provide early warning, RIDDOR requirements are automatically identified, and patterns across jobs are visible to prompt preventive action
Use Cases:
- • Fall and near-miss reporting with height context
- • Slip and trip incident documentation
- • Harness catch and arrest recording
- • Weather-related incident reporting
- • Automatic RIDDOR determination for falls
- • Root cause investigation for fall incidents
- • Pattern analysis across jobs and crews
Feature Screenshot
Incident Reporting
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Near-misses on roofs - slips, near falls, caught harnesses - go unreported because workers see them as normal hazards of the job
Real Scenario
"A roofer falls and is seriously injured. Post-incident interviews reveal three other workers had slipped on the same type of membrane coating in wet conditions over the past month. Nobody reported it - they just told each other to be careful."
Example 2: Falls from height are RIDDOR reportable, but the specific criteria for when roof incidents require reporting are not always clear to supervisors
Real Scenario
"A worker falls 2.5 metres from a scaffold on a roof job, landing on a lower roof level. He seems okay and continues work. Three days later he develops symptoms and is off work for six weeks. The fall was RIDDOR reportable from day one but nobody reported it."
COSHH Management
Roofing involves regular exposure to products with significant long-term health risks. Familiarity breeds complacency, and COSHH management must overcome this by making hazard information immediate and accessible
The Problems
Why This Matters for Roofing
- Roofing products - adhesives, primers, hot bitumen, cleaning solvents - have significant health hazards but workers often treat them casually due to familiarity
Long-term health damage from skin contact with bitumen products, solvent exposure, or respiratory sensitisation to adhesives
- Hot work with bitumen and torch-on systems creates fume hazards that vary with ventilation conditions, but this is rarely assessed properly for each location
Workers suffer acute effects from fume exposure in poorly ventilated locations, or develop long-term respiratory problems
The Solution
How COSHH Management Helps
Roofing-specific COSHH assessments with product hazard information accessible on mobile, location-specific ventilation assessment for hot work, and clear PPE requirements at point of use
Every roofing product has accessible safety information, hot work locations are assessed for ventilation adequacy, and workers know exactly what protection is required for every product they use
Use Cases:
- • Bitumen and hot work fume assessments
- • Cold adhesive and primer handling requirements
- • Solvent cleaner safety information
- • Location-specific ventilation assessment
- • PPE requirements by product type
- • Skin protection for bitumen handling
- • Long-term health surveillance requirements
Feature Screenshot
COSHH Management
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Roofing products - adhesives, primers, hot bitumen, cleaning solvents - have significant health hazards but workers often treat them casually due to familiarity
Real Scenario
"A long-serving flat roofer develops serious skin problems on his hands and forearms. Investigation reveals years of bitumen contact without gloves because that was how he was taught. COSHH assessment specified gloves, but the information never reached workers on site."
Example 2: Hot work with bitumen and torch-on systems creates fume hazards that vary with ventilation conditions, but this is rarely assessed properly for each location
Real Scenario
"Roofers use torch-on membrane in a sheltered valley between roof sections. Poor ventilation concentrates fumes. Two workers suffer headaches and nausea. They finish the job rather than stopping. No assessment considered the specific location's ventilation."
Results Roofing Businesses Achieve
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