FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited CJM Roofing Inc. — based in West Palm, Fla. — for exposing employees to fall and other hazards at three residential worksites in Jensen Beach and Port St. Lucie, Fla.

The contractor faces penalties totaling $199,711.

According to a release, OSHA initiated inspections in November 2019 and March 2020, as part of the Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction, after inspectors observed employees working on roofs without fall protection. OSHA cited the company for failing to provide a fall protection system, ensure that portable ladders extend above the upper landing, and conduct regular inspections of the jobsite to identify safety hazards. The citation notes that, on Nov. 29, 2019, workers were exposed to a fall hazard of 9 feet to ground level on a residential roof with a 5/12 pitch without fall protection.

The agency has inspected the company eight times in the past five years, resulting in repeat violations of the fall protection standard.

“Companies that fail to comply with fall prevention requirements are placing workers at risk for serious injuries,” said OSHA Fort Lauderdale Area Director Condell Eastmond. “This employer must take immediate action by conducting required hazard assessments and correcting dangerous working conditions.”

OSHA’s Fall Protection in Residential Construction webpage provides resources on various residential activities.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed 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.