Connecticut Contractor Exposes Workers to Dangerous Fall Hazards

11.21.2016
HR & Safety

An OSHA inspection found that a Wolcott contractor repeatedly exposed its employees to fall hazards (falls of 18 feet) while performing roofing work in Middletown, Rhode Island.
OSHA inspectors observed M&M Roofing employees working with inadequate fall protection atop a roof while driving by the worksite on May 4, 2016.
They observed that the employees were wearing safety harnesses, but the harnesses were not connected to any anchor to prevent the workers from slipping or falling off the roof.
The inspectors immediately opened an inspection and instructed the foreman to have the employees anchor their harnesses, which they did. When inspectors returned to the worksite on May 6, 2016, and May 12, 2016, they again found workers’ safety harnesses unattached to anchors to prevent them from falling.
“This employer exposed its employees deliberately to potentially deadly or disabling falls on multiple occasions and has a history of fall-related violations at job sites in Connecticut. This is unacceptable,” said Patrick Griffin, OSHA’s Rhode Island area director.

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction work.

“Falls are the leading cause of death in construction work. That won’t change unless employers take seriously their responsibility to provide safe working conditions for their employees.”

Violations

Specifically, OSHA cited M&M Roofing for:

  • One willful violation for inadequate fall protection.
  • Three repeat violations for not training employees about fall hazards; ladders that did not extend at least three feet above the next level for required stability; and unguarded open holes in the roof. OSHA cited M&M Roofing in 2013 and 2014 for similar violations at worksites in Manchester and Watertown.
  • Two serious violations for inadequate ladder safety training for employees and lack of eye or face protection for employees working with pneumatic nail guns and a leaf blower used for cleaning debris.

The proposed fines for these violations total $185,194. The citations can be viewed here.

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