Every roofer faces storms sometimes

By Emma Peterson.

NFRC's Weather the Storm campaign offers a practical framework for discussing wellbeing on and off the jobsite.

The roofing trade can be a very high-pressure space to work. From managing physical risks like weather and working height to balancing mental tasks like deadlines and client interactions, it can all be a lot. And that’s not even considering the fact that not all of life’s pressures come from our workplaces. Professionals are often trying to manage all the different demands of the job on top whatever's going on in their personal life.

The impacts of these different stressors express themselves differently in each person, however, common expressions of stress are tiredness and distraction – two things that can quickly become dangerous and even life-threatening when working in a physical trade. The key to avoiding finding yourself or your crew in a bad situation because of stress is simple – don't ignore it! Acknowledging stress among roofers is the key to creating a safer, stronger industry.

This is something that National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) is emphasizing in their new campaign, Weather the Storm. As they put it:

Mental health and wellbeing affect everyone differently, but they cannot be ignored, particularly in a demanding and physical trade like roofing... Just like the weather, our mental wellbeing can change quickly. We may feel sunny and able to cope one day, but under pressure, unsettled or stormy the next...[The] Weather the Storm [campaign gives roofers] a practical way to check in with ourselves and the people around us.

The core of this campaign is the Weather the Storm check-in scale. This scale takes something roofers know all too well – weather – and creates a way to start a conversation about mental health. There are four main “forecasts” included in this scale:

1. Sunshine: If things are sunny for someone, they are coping well and feeling motivated. If you're feeling sunny, the best thing to do is maintain positive routines going and keep an eye on teammates who might not be experiencing such good weather.
2. Cloudy: When clouds start to loom overhead, it indicates that pressure might be rising. Reporting your state of being as cloud indicates that you might be feeling tired, irritable or distracted. If you feel like the clouds are gathering, it’s time to take a proper break and speak to someone you trust before those clouds start to break.
3. Rain: Once the rain starts, it’s a signal that someone is struggling. This often is tied to low mood, constant stress and feeling overwhelmed. Someone who reports as raining should speak up. Being under this much pressure is not healthy and getting support is key to avoiding wellbeing or safety risks.
4. Storm: This is the top of the scale and a request for immediate support. If someone says it’s storming for them, they are not able to cope, may be feeling trapped and likely shouldn't be actively working. If you feel like you are in the middle of a storm, make sure to immediately ask for help. You are not alone and not the only one who has felt this way. And the way to stop feeling this way is to lean on your community for support.

Overall, the point of this check-in scale is not to diagnose people or pressure them into sharing more than they are comfortable with; it is about recognising that our feelings and mental state impact our work and the safety of everyone. You might not even realize you are feeling the pressure, until someone asks. And in that way, using this check-in gives everyone an opportunity to “check in with ourselves and each other before small issues become bigger problems.”

Learn more about weathering the storm!