Florida Contractor Cited for Fall Hazards
OSHA has cited Jasper Contractors of Jacksonville, Fla., for six safety violations.
Jasper Contractors was cited by OSHA for six safety violations for exposing workers to falls and other hazards while they performed roofing work at two residential work sites in Jacksonville, Fla., according to an agency news release. OSHA received complaints that employees were working from roofs without fall protection, and the company now faces penalties of $162,000.
"Management did not take any action to minimize the fall hazards while the employees worked from residential roofs, even though the workers wore harnesses and there were ropes and anchors on the roof," said Brian Sturtecky, OSHA's area director in Jacksonville. "Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry, which is why employers must ensure their workers use fall protection systems properly."
Willful citations were issued at each of the work sites for allowing employees to perform roofing work at heights of 8 to 12 feet without fall protection.
OSHA issued a repeat violation for failure to ensure employees wore eye protection, which exposed workers to eye injuries from flying debris and nails. The agency also issued two serious violations for failure to ensure workers on the ground wore head protection while cleaning up debris thrown from the roof and for failure to extend the side rails of a ladder three feet above the upper landing surface to provide roof access.