Illinois Contractor Cited for Exposing Workers to Fall Hazards
OSHA found workers at heights above 10 feet without adequate fall protection.
- By Alex Saurman
- Apr 25, 2022
A contractor in Illinois is being cited after OSHA noted workers were exposed to fall hazards twice in a 10-day span.
According to a press release, OSHA inspected a site where employees of ECS Roofing Professionals were working. On the first day, it found workers on a building 20 feet high without proper fall protection. Ten days later, OSHA inspectors returned and found workers again not properly protected from falls, this time working 12 feet off the ground.
OSHA cited the contractor for not providing fall protection, training or access to ladder jack scaffolding. It also did not monitor worker head and eye protection.There are one willful, four repeat and eight serious violations with a penalty of $360,531.
These are not ECS Roofing Professionals’ first violations. Since 2014, OSHA has cited it seven times for similar violations. According to the release, ECS Roofing Professionals did not respond to some of the citations and has an unpaid balance of $139,656 in penalties.
In 2020, more than 350 construction workers were fatally injured from falls to a lower level. Injuries like these are preventable.
“While ECS Roofing Professionals seem willing to ignore the dangers of falls and the potential for serious injuries or worse, OSHA will hold Joshua Herion and other roofing contractors accountable for failing to meet the legal requirements to provide safe working conditions,” said OSHA’s Area Director Christine Zortman in Milwaukee, who investigated the Waukesha job site, in the press release. “Fall injuries and fatalities are preventable with the proper use of safety equipment and training.”
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.