Jobsite Safety and Workforce Regulation
Who regulates safety
Oklahoma has no full state OSHA plan for private construction; federal OSHA has jurisdiction, while the Oklahoma Department of Labor runs a public-employee safety program. That means 29 CFR 1926 applies directly to a roofing crew, and OSHA's residential fall-protection enforcement requires conventional fall protection - guardrails, safety nets or personal fall-arrest systems - at 6 feet.
The core hazards
- Falls: 1926.501 and 1926.502; anchor points, harnesses, lanyards, and rescue planning
- Ladders: 1926.1053 - extend 3 feet above the landing, 4:1 setup, secured top
- Scaffolds: 1926.451 - guardrails at 10 feet, fully planked
- Skylights and openings: covered or guarded
- Power lines: maintain required clearances and call the utility before setting a conveyor
- Nail guns and cutting tools: eye protection under 1926.102
- Heat and adhesives: water/rest cycles and hazard communication for solvents
Workforce rules
Oklahoma employers must carry workers' compensation coverage under the Administrative Workers' Compensation Act (85A O.S.); sole proprietors and qualifying LLC members may be exempt, but misclassifying employees as independent contractors creates exposure with the Tax Commission and the CIB. Roofing is a hazardous occupation under federal child-labor rules, so workers must be 18. Employers with 11 or more employees keep an OSHA 300 log, report fatalities within 8 hours and in-patient hospitalizations within 24 hours.
Worked example
A three-person crew works a 6:12 roof with no fall protection. The owner argues the company is small. Size is irrelevant - the duty attaches at 6 feet, and OSHA's residential directive no longer accepts"slide-guarding" as a substitute. Expect a serious citation and possible willful classification.
Traps
Assuming Oklahoma has its own OSHA roofing rules, treating roof jacks as fall protection, and putting a 17-year-old on a tear-off.