Inside the OIRCA
By: Don B. Marks, Executive Director, OIRCA

Time For Action

Here I go again.  No I am not obsessed with fire.  I am not even close to being what one would consider a firebug.  What I am concerned about though is that our industry seems to have gone full circle on the issue of torch applied roofing systems.

I make this statement because we had a least three major torch related fires in the province in 2006.  I say at least three because there were three large documented fires last year.  The fact of the matter is that there were many more over the course of the entire year.  Most of those were not picked up on the news wires, were kept quiet, were not reported to the insurance industry or were just plain put out before they got out of hand.

Of course it was only just a couple of years ago that all hell was breaking loose in our industry.  Torch related fires were being reported right across the country.  Roofing contractors were proclaiming that they would never torch again.  Designers of roofing systems had acknowledged the problem and were specifying alternative systems. The insurance industry had got wind of the scale of the crisis and premium rates literally went through the roof.

Enter the year 2006.  We witnessed a softening of the insurance market.  New products and systems had been introduced to lessen the risk of fires with torch applications.  Designers had discovered ways to design safer torch applications.  All in all our industry had accepted a false sense of security when it came to torch applying modified bitumen roofing systems.

The return of major fires has brought with it proclamations that roofing contractors had not been adequately training their workers.  Reports from other provinces included statements to the effect that, Ontario roofers do not know how to torch.  One such comment went on to say that roofers from their province were so skilled at torching that they could torch apply membranes over newspaper without risking fire.  How absurd.  The truth of course is that torch related fires are occurring right across Canada.

The reality is, and it has to be stated quite frankly; torch applied roofing applications, with few exceptions, ARE UNSAFE!  The sooner we come to that realization, the sooner we will prevent the ultimate catastrophe, a fatality. 

I know that for some reading this column, they will believe that I have gone over the top on this one.  I also know that a number of our members base a large percentage of their work on these type of applications and apparently with few or no fires resulting.  Well I hate to say this but the odds are, their day will come.

So were does the burden of responsibility lie with this issue?  Is it the roofing contractor who installs these products, the manufacturer who develops and produces them or is it the designer who specifies them?  Or do all parties share the spotlight.

Well I do not expect the suppliers to stop supplying these products while demand remains strong for them.  The roofer of course generally applies what is specified or is instructed to install.  I’m sorry, but I have to take aim at the designer or specifier of the roofing system who fails to acknowledge the risk attached to torch applying these systems.

A few years back, OIRCA embarked on a mission of sorts.  After sitting on the fence when it came to this issue, we made a decision that we would attempt to educate the industry on the perils associated with the torch application of modified bitumen roofing systems.  We wrote articles, developed bulletins, made presentations and conducted seminars.  Perhaps we did not go far enough.  Our message talked about alternative ways to install these products, safer designs for torch applications and other system options available.  Not the usual role for a contractor based association, but someone had to do something. 

Some within our ranks have called for a ban on these systems.  Supposedly cooler heads prevailed.  Well now that we have entered 2007 there are those that are calling for action.  An industry summit has been proposed.  Will OIRCA spearhead such an initiative?  Well we may just be the only organization with the will and desire to make it happen.  I for one endorse this action, sooner than later.