On March 27, an 18-year-old employee of Jamesport, Mo.-based Troyer Roofing & Coatings was applying sealant to a commercial building’s roof when he fell more than 22 feet and suffered severe injuries that left him in a coma for five days; the teen subsequently died from his injuries.  

After the fall, his employer — Troyer Constructors LLP, operating as Troyer Roofing & Coatings — allowed a foreman and another worker to continue working without fall protection until they finished their shift, according to a Sept. 8, 2023 news release from the U.S. Department of Labor. 

In addition, inspectors with the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned the company had fall protection available but, as the news release stated, allowed employees to decide “if” they wanted to use it.

“Troyer Roofing & Coatings could have prevented this young worker’s death by requiring their employees to use fall protection equipment,” said OSHA Area Director Karena Lorek, based in Kansas City, Mo. “

Disturbingly, the employer, John Troyer, according to Dun & Bradstreet records, allowed other workers to return to work on the same roof without fall protection,” Lorek added. “Employers have an obligation to comply with requirements that are designed to prevent tragedies such as this from occurring.”

OSHA investigators determined that, besides not ensuring that employees used fall protection, the contractor failed to train them on how to use it. Investigators also found Troyer Roofing did not train employees on proper forklift operations, failed to provide workers with face and eye protection, and did not have a written hazard communication program for sealants and other chemicals the employer used.

OSHA cited Troyer Roofing & Coatings for one willful violation, three serious violations and one other-than-serious violation and proposed penalties of $205,369. The agency cited the company for similar fall protection violations in 2015.

Based in Jamesport, Troyer Constructors LLP is a third-generation, family-owned and operated business with more than 20 years of experience in the roofing industry. Troyer Roofing & Coatings provides commercial roofing restorations and repairs to customers in north and central Missouri.

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. Troyer must respond on or before Sept. 11, 2023.

Read the full complaint HERE.