(Tony) Everybody seems to think that we're invincible. At least, I used to believe that. When you hear about accidents, you hear about the new guys, the guys that have never been on the roof, the guys that joke too much, the guys like to play around. But, Joe was . . . he was my top foreman. Safety wise, he was one of those more cautious persons that we actually have here. But if it happened to him, it could happen to anybody. And I realized that me coming home is not guaranteed anymore. (Julio) We start like around 7:00 in the morning that day. We got out of the truck, start setting up our things, went up to the roof… (Tony) Julio would start up the vacuum truck. Joe was over there, and I was telling Joe that I was not coming in on Friday. We were just, just talking. And he says, “okay.” And in a matter of seconds, I saw a shadow and he went through a skylight. Fell down. It was a big hallway, kinda like a storage area. I actually was talking to him and I mean, I started praying actually. And I said, “Oh lord, don’t let it be.” I...I guess that I had a lot of emotions. (Julio) Feel bad ‘cause I’ve known him for many, many years. First couple of days I couldn’t sleep. Now, even up to today, I will still remember him and I feel bad. ‘Cause he had family like I do, ya’know? It’s been a while, but I still remember. (Tony) Ya’know, I think about it a million times how could I have prevented it? How could we have done something different? (Woman) The California FACE program investigates workplace deaths. We made this video with Tony and Julio to honor Joe’s memory and to help prevent tragedies like this from happening again. Let’s look at what happened that day: The crew was performing major repairs to a large industrial warehouse roof, a roof that had several skylights. That day, Joe and Tony were up on the roof, using a truck-mounted vacuum to remove rock and gravel, prior to starting the roof repairs. At the time of the incident, there were no guardrails, no skylight screens or covers, and none of the crew members were wearing personal fall protection equipment. Tony was operating the vacuum nozzle while Joe guided the hose behind him. Joe was likely walking backwards, and either tripped on the skylight, or lost his balance. He fell through the skylight to the floor, 30 feet below. Here’s the thing to remember: Most skylights are not designed to withstand the weight of a falling worker. To protect yourself, you’ve got to use at least one of the following: Skylight screens or covers, guardrails, or a personal fall arrest or restraint system, including, body harness, lanyard, connectors, and anchorage points. Even just one of these safety systems could have prevented Joe’s death. And remember, before starting a job, a trained, competent person should perform safety inspections of the job site to check that appropriate fall protection is available and being used. Workers must also be trained in fall hazards and safe work practices. And the employer must keep records of the training and who was in attendance. (Tony) If anyone is listening and doesn’t want to go what I went through, just be more cautious. (Julio speaking Spanish) When you go to work, you have to pay attention to safety above all else. (Tony) Know who is working around, where we’re working around and if you see a possible hazard, report it right away. Don’t think that the other guy should catch it. Don’t say, ‘I’ve been doing this for 20 years, that won’t happen to me.’ Cause it’s not true! He was the greatest roofer I knew, and look what happened.