You’ve done everything right for your commercial roof, from conducting regular inspections to checking for minor leaks and issues, but your roof is still at risk from one often overlooked culprit — your own employees. It won’t likely be intentional (malicious damage is rare) but the impact of your employees’ own actions could cause lasting damage to your roof and in turn, the integrity of your facility. Here are 3 ways employees can inadvertently cause or magnify damage.

Using the Roof as a Social or Work Zone

If your roof is easily accessible, employees may find that the roof is more convenient than heading to the cafeteria or outdoors for a quick break. A smoking break, quick pause for fresh air, or water cooler type discussion can all lead to your roof becoming an unofficial, but highly trafficked social zone. Some roofs are designed and constructed to be usable areas, but if your is not and your employees aren’t careful, damage could result. It may be durable against the weather, but your roof is not designed to have multiple adults walking on the surface regularly. Even if you have walkpads in place, socializing employees may not notice or use them; using the roof for social purposes may lead to better employee relations, but it could cause lasting damage to your roof as well.

Attempting to DIY

Well-meaning employees who consider themselves to be handy could try to resolve what they see as a minor issue – and fix it themselves. They may even be proud of their initiative and resourcefulness. That “can-do” attitude likely serves you well in your business, but unless employees are properly equipped for commercial roof repair, it can lead to big and expensive roof problems later. Make sure your team knows that the best way to help when they spot a roof problem is to call a pro, not handle repairs on their own.

Cleaning up the Mess

Your team is on the ball – which is awesome, unless they are cleaning up a leak from your roof or catching water in a basin without telling you about the problem. While a worker who intuitively tidies up and keeps your workplace safe is ideal, if they do not let you know about moisture coming in, you can’t take steps to fix the problem. A good leak action plan will help mitigate problems created by conscientious employees who clean up the interior evidence before it can be spotted.

Understanding and addressing the issues that your roof could face from uninformed and/or well-intentioned employees can help reduce potential roof problems. If you are concerned about damage, a comprehensive inspection by a Royalty Roofing pro can help. Contact us to get started or to learn more about protecting your facility.