A Baton Rouge roofing contractor faces consequences after an employee’s fatal fall off a roof two months after federal safety inspectors issued a warning it was not complying with fall protection requirements.
An Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation into the worker's April 2 fatal fall found the incident could have been avoided if protective devices had been used, according to an Aug. 1 Department of Labor news release. OSHA inspectors found that Premier South Roofing LLC exposed six workers to fall hazards April 2, by neglecting to make sure that the necessary fall protection was employed.
“Falls continue to be the leading cause of deaths in the construction industry and yet, employers like Premier South Roofing LLC repeatedly failed to protect their workers from the risk of disabling injuries or worse,” OSHA Area Director Roderic Chube in Baton Rouge, La., said in the release. “Ensuring that workers are trained on and use proper fall protection, as required by law, can prevent tragedies such as this from recurring.”
One of the roofers lost their footing while fixing and replacing a roof, tripped on a skylight and fell around 30 feet, according to the release. The 22-year-old worker died from the injuries. A February investigation warned the company about the potential dangers.
Premier South Roofing now faces $249,323 in penalties, and has 15 business days from the citation to comply, the release reported. The company has approximately 200 employees in the Baton Rouge, Lafayette and North Shore areas of Louisiana.
