A contractor in Appleton, Wis., was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for exposing workers to falls and for failing to train them on how to use fall protection effectively.
Lucio Perez Lopez, operating as Lopez Roofing, reportedly permitted three roofers to operate at heights of up to 18 feet without securing their fall protection, thus unable to prevent serious or fatal injuries despite the potentially lethal consequences, according to a July 28 Department of Labor news release.
“If a fall arrest system is not worn and anchored properly, there is nothing to stop a worker from possibly becoming a statistic, as falls from elevations remain one of the leading causes of death in the construction industry,” OSHA Area Director Robert Bonack in Appleton, said in the release.
An OSHA inspector reportedly witnessed the risky conditions May 11 for the employees who were removing items from a residential roof in Sheboygan, Wis. Citations were issued for failing to provide adequate training and for exposing workers to the risk of falls, the release reported.
OSHA issued one serious violation and one repeat violation, with penalties proposed at $94,263. Lopez Roofing was also cited twice between 2014 and 2017 for similar violations. This was the fifth time the agency said the employer flouted the law, according to the release.
“Assigning workers to perform dangerous tasks without training them on how to protect themselves is inexcusable,” Bonack said in the release. “OSHA will hold employers accountable when they fail to meet their legal requirements to provide safe working conditions.”
