OSHA inspectors cited the company for two willful violations for failing to install and require the use of a guardrail, safety net or personal fall arrest system while employees worked on residential roofs. OSHA also cited Chanell Roofing and Home Improvement for failing to train employees on fall protection hazards and the proper use of a ladder, develop a safety and health program and require head protection.

Since 2015, OSHA has cited the company four times for fall protection violations.

“Employers must follow the law, and ensure that workers wear fall protection equipment, and are trained on recognizing and avoiding fall hazards,” said OSHA Area Director Kimberly Nelson in Toledo, Ohio.

OSHA’s Fall Protection webpage offers compliance assistance resources on how to prevent falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the 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.

View the full citation here.

In the past month, OSHA has fined three different roofing contractors for safety violations, all of which have involved fall hazards. These include contractors in Missouri, New York and Oregon.