Investigators said the skylight was not guarded, the company's fall-protection plan did not identify the skylights as a fall hazard, and workers had not been adequately trained about the danger. Leslie & Campbell is appealing the citations and penalties.

The case is part of a broader string of recent roofing enforcement actions highlighted by L&I involving Roof Doctor Inc., Dabella/Reve Exteriors LLC, Bartlett Homes & Roofing LLC and subcontractors working for two of the companies.

Roof Doctor Fined After Worker Injured

The largest individual penalty highlighted by L&I was issued to Roof Doctor Inc. of Olympia. The agency fined the contractor $238,680 on June 30 for four willful-serious and two serious fall-protection violations after part of a roof collapsed beneath a worker at a Tumwater jobsite. Investigators determined the worker's safety rope was too long to effectively stop his fall. The worker was hospitalized.

L&I said Roof Doctor and associated companies have accumulated more than 80 safety violations since 2004, including 34 involving failures to ensure workers used fall protection. The agency also said the businesses had nearly 40 injury claims related to falls during that period. Roof Doctor is appealing the latest citations.

Contractor, Subcontractor Cited on Same Job

Dabella/Reve Exteriors LLC was cited Aug. 19 for two willful-serious violations and fined $176,580 after L&I said subcontractor employees were exposed to fall hazards or lacked appropriate protective equipment. The agency said some violations repeated findings from previous inspections.

Dabella/Reve is appealing the citations. L&I also cited Suruka House LLC, a subcontractor on the same project, for $34,668. Regulators cited repeated failures to ensure workers used fall protection and other required protective equipment, along with failure to have a fall-protection work plan.

Bartlett Roofing, Subcontractor Also Fined

Bartlett Homes & Roofing LLC of Veradale was fined $179,964 following another roofing inspection. L&I issued willful-serious and repeat-serious violations after inspectors found two workers who were not connected to a fall-protection system. Regulators also found improperly installed roof anchors and excessive slack in one worker's fall-restraint rope, which L&I said would not have prevented the worker from hitting the ground in a fall. Bartlett is appealing. Its subcontractor, Ivan's Roofing Spokane LLC, was fined another $37,415 after inspectors found workers not using fall protection, unsafe ladder practices and inadequate first-aid availability.

Increased Scrutiny 

Employers placed in the program face increased scrutiny and follow-up inspections. Washington also shares its severe-violator list with federal OSHA and other state plans, potentially allowing inspections in other states where an employer operates. The recent cases underscore the continued enforcement focus on basic roofing fall-protection requirements, including properly installed anchors, appropriately adjusted fall-restraint systems, written fall-protection plans and protection around skylights and other openings.

Falls from height continue to be the chief cause of workplace fatalities and injuries on roofing jobsites. OSHA’s fall prevention webpage includes a free and downloadable fall protection guide for roofing contractors.