Third Time Not the Charm for Roofing Contractor
AMB Construction now faces $113,300 in fines
OSHA announced an enforcement case against AMB Construction of Brooklyn, N.Y., saying its investigators found the company's workers faced the threat of deadly or disabling falls as they replaced the 20,000-square-foot roof of Westchester County'ss Bedford Hills Elementary School. OSHA has cited the commercial and residential roofing contractor for 14 violations of workplace safety standards with fines of $113,300. This is the third time AMB Construction has been cited for similar violations, according to OSHA's news release.
"The sizable fines proposed here reflect this employer's prior history and clear knowledge of their existence coupled with the gravity of these hazards," said Diana Cortez, OSHA's area director in Tarrytown. "Falls are among the top four hazards in construction work likely to injure or kill employees. Dangers can be prevented by employers with basic, common-sense and legally required safeguards, such as providing fall protection and effective training to help workers recognize and avoid fall hazards. That was not the case here."
Inspectors found that AMB Construction's employees worked from various unprotected roof pitches and an aerial lift that exposed them to fall hazards ranging from 16 to 25 feet. Some of the workers performed their jobs without the use of fall protection, while others used ineffective fall protection systems. OSHA cited AMB Construction for not providing employees with fall protection training.