We aim to provide a credible measure of the amount of disability, disability retirement, early retirement, and job change caused by injury, illness, and musculoskeletal disease among roofers. We will use standard well-developed survey instruments and techniques to survey union construction workers as they leave their trade and one year later. We will determine the reason for leaving, the nature of injury or illness if present, functional limitations at the time of leaving the trade and again after one year, and the social and economic consequences of that decision. This study will focus on three groups of roofers: (1) those who leave the trade before retiring, at any time in their careers; (2) and those who take early retirement; and (3) those who apply for disability retirement. We will also interview a comparable group of roofers who continue to work for each of these three groups. Specifically we will: (1) Determine what proportion of roofers leave the union before retirement age or retire early, or apply for disability retirement because of work-related injury, work-related disease, or a chronic medical condition. (2) Determine what proportion of roofers who continue to work in the trade have chronic symptoms from a work-related injury, have a work-related disease, or have a chronic medical condition. (3) Describe the social and economic impact of work-related injury and illness or premature retirement due to a medical condition for each of these groups. (4) Evaluate change in measures of social and economic impact over time in the roofers who drop out of the union and those who retire early or on disability. (5) Assess and describe the impact of work-related conditions and aging on the ability of roofers to remain employed in their trade.
