OSHA Proposes $793K in Penalties for Pennsylvania Roofing Contractor Exposing Workers to Fall Hazards

Juan Zuniga Ramos, principal of JZ Exteriors and Repairs LLC, reportedly failed to provide fall protection and train workers on its use. OSHA says the contractor has accused more than $30,000 in unpaid fines.

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A roofing contractor from Pennsylvania is facing hefty fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after exposing employees to fall hazards at five different jobsites.

According to a release from OSHA, the agency conducted six inspections in southern New Jersey at five work sites for All Best Contractors Corp., based in Philadelphia. The inspections took place in October and December 2021 as well as in January and March 2022. In each instance, inspectors found the company didn't provide workers doing sheathing and framing work on roofs with fall protection, as the law requires. The inspections also revealed the company didn't provide eye and head protection and train employees on forklift use.

OSHA cited the company with seven willful and 11 safety violations. Based on these citations, OSHA is proposing penalties totaling $793,290.

“OSHA inspectors found All Best Contractor Corp.’s foreman on site, and yet he allowed employees to work while knowing that they lacked fall and other safety protections. Such blatant disregard for the safety and well-being of the company’s workers shows a willful recklessness,” said OSHA Area Director Paula Dixon-Roderick in Marlton, N.J. "The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration will make every effort to hold employers accountable when they put workers at increased risk of serious injuries or worse.”

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.

All Best Contractor Corp. provides residential wood framing and sheathing throughout New Jersey. The company has about 45 employees.

Falls from elevation are a leading cause of death for construction employees. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports falls accounted for 351 of the 1,008 construction fatalities recorded in 2020. OSHA encourages industry employers and workers to participate in the 2022 National Safety Stand-Down from May 2-6. The annual event raises industry awareness of fall hazards in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries.