Pennsylvania Roofing Contractor Exposed Children to Deadly Hazards
S&L Roofing, Gutters, and Siding LLC faces five safety violations and $64,759 in proposed penalties.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Jul 10, 2024
Liverpool, Pennsylvania-based S&L Roofing, Gutters, and Siding LLC is facing significant penalties after an OSHA investigation revealed the company exposed two minor children to serious fall hazards while working on a Mechanicsburg apartment complex in June 2024. The agency cited the contractor for five safety violations, including two willful violations, and $64,759 in proposed penalties.
According to a recent release, the investigation launched after the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry reported that the company’s owner had his 12- and 14-year-old sons performing roofing work. Inspectors discovered the children were exposed to fall hazards as well as an incorrectly set extension ladder and pneumatic nail guns.
“Allowing children to perform roofing work is illegal and permitting them to do so without fall protection makes this case even more disturbing,” OSHA Area Director Kevin T. Chambers in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, said in a statement. “Falls from heights kill hundreds of workers each year and leave many more with permanent and often disabling injuries. Once again, S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding is ignoring mandatory federal regulations and putting people – this time his own children – in danger.”
S&L Roofing is currently litigating with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania over similar violations cited by state safety inspectors in 2023. Additionally, OSHA cited the company for three serious violations for failing to use fall protection systems in 2015 inspections.
S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding LLC has 15 business days to comply with the citations and penalties, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.