Crime Blotter

Federal Inspectors Find Mo. Roofing Contractor’s Indifference Led to Worker Death

Troyer Roofing & Coatings allegedly permitted employees to work without fall protection equipment, says Labor Dept.

Troyer - OSHA - TOF.jpg — Of the litany of citations levied against Troyer Roofing, the most damning — a “Willful-Serious” citation, states: “The employer is failing to protect employees from fall hazards related to working at heights greater than six feet without the use of a fall protection system. This was most recently documented on March 27, 2023, at the worksite located near 8th Street and Harris Avenue, Trenton, Missouri.”
Three employees were identified in the citation as being exposed to fall hazards; the proposed penalty for this particular infraction is $156k.
— Top of fold image courtesy of Pixely; chart courtesy of Northern Illinois University

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.”

Troyer - Fall Chart.png 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.

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Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).

Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction, and community issues. He has worked at Adweek, managed a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif., and reported on finance, law, and real estate for the San Diego Daily Transcript. He later served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and was managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage.

Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure projects, new products and business.