Roofing Company Fined For Failing To Protect Against Falling Hazards

Two employees of the Sycamore, Illinois-based company, Tip Top Roofing & Construction, were working on a rooftop in DeKalb without proper fall protection equipment. The event spurred on an investigation by the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Inspectors identified four safety violations and will fine the company for $103,000. Furthermore, this is the fifth OSHA investigation into Tip Top Roofing & Construction.

“It’s unacceptable that Tip Top Roofing & Construction repeatedly fails in its responsibility to ensure workers use fall protection,” said the OSHA area director in North Aurora. “Falls remain the leading cause of death in the construction industry, and companies must implement safeguards and create a culture of safety.”

The company committed a willful violation by allowing the previously mentioned workers to install asphalt shingles despite a lack of fall safety equipment. Willful violations are those performed with intentional disregard for federal standards. In addition, inspectors identified a repeat violation of failure to use proper extension ladders. Inspectors also identified two serious violations. The company failed to develop proper ladder and fall safety protocols and inspect job sites. Serious violations are those which can result in serious injury or death.

My Employer Does Not Provide Proper Scaffolding Onsite. What Can I Do?

OSHA has recently made fall safety a priority by launching the Stop Falls program aimed at informing businesses about how to best avoid falling fatalities in the workplace. If you or coworker has been exposed to serious falling hazards, we can help. Our Columbus workers’ compensation attorneys will ensure that your negligent employers are held accountable for their blatant disregard towards employee safety. For more information, contact us. To schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our Columbus workers’ compensation lawyers, call today at (614) 221-7548.

[Did You Know: Across the nation, 264 of the 774 construction fatalities in 2010 were falls, according to an OSHA study.]

Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys

Source: https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=25326, https://www.osha.gov/stopfalls/