ConDig (12-Dec-24) A roofing contractor in Newark, New Jersey, has been fined $328,545 for exposing workers repeatedly to fall hazards.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said that RRC Home Improvement Inc. was cited for four willful and seven serious violations following the three inspections at a worksite in Dover in June.

OSHA inspectors observed employees working without required fall protection. The probe also uncovered violations involving lack of hard hats, eye protection, and fire extinguishers, as well as non-compliant pump jack scaffold poles and unsafe ladder use.

In five inspections since 2017, OSHA has cited the company for failing to provide workers with fall protection and added RRC Home Improvement to the agency’s Severe Violators Enforcement Program given the willful nature of the fall-related offenses.

“Failing to provide and use fall protection when working at elevation – in this case on rooftops – is a disaster waiting to happen,” said OSHA area director Lisa Levy. 

“Despite being cited multiple times since 2017, RRC Home Improvement continues to disregard critical safety standards, putting workers at grave risk. Falls remain the leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries in the construction industry, making this repeated negligence unacceptable.”

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.