Washington Contractor Faces Another Heavy Fine for Fall Violations
The Roof Doctor Inc. has been cited, for the eighth time since 2012, for fall protection violations. This time, it faces six willful violations and a $427,000 fine for exposing workers to fall hazards without adequate fall protection.
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has cited The Roof Doctor Inc. for six willful and has fined the Olympia-based company $427,000 for exposing workers to fall hazards without adequate fall protection, according to the department's Jan. 27 news release.
Each of the willful violations carries the maximum penalty of $70,000. The department's investigation found the company exposed six workers to fall hazards from heights as high as 23 feet while roofing a house in Castle Rock last July, and L&I also cited it for one serious violation, with a penalty of $7,000, for failing to effectively train workers in how to use fall protection systems or equipment.
"Falls from heights are completely preventable, and yet they're a leading cause of worker fatalities and hospitalizations in our state," said Anne Soiza, assistant director for L&I's Division of Occupational Safety and Health. "We're hopeful that this will lead to proper fall protection practices for all of their workers, all the time, going forward."
L&I reported this case is the eighth time since 2012 that The Roof Doctor has been cited for fall protection violations; two years ago, it was cited for six willful violations and fined $219,600 for the same fall protection hazards, and that citation is under appeal. The Roof Doctor is one of the larger roofing companies in the state, operating in nine counties with more than a hundred employees; it has been identified as a severe violator and is subject to follow-up inspections to determine if the conditions still exist in the future, according to L&I.