Washington Fined 4 Construction Companies $500K in Past Three Months

Four construction companies in Washington were fined more than $500,000 combined for violating rules about workers using fall protection gear in the past three months.

The fines were issued by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, which the department said highlights problem: falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, with more than 1,600 workers injured by falls yearly in Washington.

One company called out by L&I was Legacy Roofing Northwest, which also does business as America 1st Roofing & Builders Inc. According to the department, the company has a recent history of fall protection and other safety violations. Earlier this year, L&I inspectors reportedly photographed a Legacy Roofing/America 1st worker on a roof without fall protection while working above exposed rebar on the ground. That resulted in a $95,648 fine, which the company did not appeal.

On May 6, L&I issued another citation to the company, fining them $112,000 for willful violations including workers not wearing eye protection while using nail guns to install shingles. The company is appealing in that case. L&I said it has inspected Legacy Roofing/America 1st nine times in the past three years resulting in nine violations, four of which were for lack of fall protection.

Other companies facing large citations from L&I for fall protection violations over the last three months include:

• Sol Construction LLC (Olympia): fined $128,400 for willful violations March 5 after inspectors photographed four workers on a two-story roof who were not wearing fall protection. The company is appealing.
• Modern S Construction LLC (Edgewood): fined $118,440 for willful violations March 17 after four workers were framing a 2-story house without a fall protection system more than 12 feet off the ground. The workers were exposed to unguarded openings and had not been trained. Modern S Construction did not appeal the citation and fine.
• Second 2 None Exteriors LLC (Spanaway): fined $127,400 for willful violations March 19 after L&I inspectors photographed two roofers working more than 12 feet above the ground without fall protection or guarding. The company is appealing.