Cal/OSHA Cites LA County Roofers $282,420 Following Fatal Fall
A worker’s fatal fall led Cal/OSHA to cite three Los Angeles County-based roofing contractors for multiple workplace safety violations, with proposed penalties totaling $282,420.
An employee was repairing a roof leak at a two-story residential property in Westchester when he fell 24 feet to the ground and suffered fatal head injuries on Jan. 9.
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Cal/OSHA inspectors later determined that each of the three employers was responsible for protecting workers from hazards associated with the roofing operation. It was found that the employers permitted the crew to work on the roof without fall protection, proper ladder-safety training or an on-site worker certified in first aid. Inspectors also found that two of the employers failed to provide effective heat illness prevention training.
Cal/OSHA issued citations and proposed penalties:
- Atlas Building and Roofing Inc. was cited $120,300 in proposed penalties for one willful-serious accident-related, three serious and two general violations.
- Atlas Roofing Company Inc. was cited $113,750 in proposed penalties for one willful-serious accident-related, three serious and two general violations.
- Roof-Top Construction Inc. was cited $48,370 in proposed penalties for one serious accident-related, three serious and two general violations.
Under Cal/OSHA regulations, employers must provide fall protection during roofing, re-roofing and roof-removal operations when workers are exposed to falls of six feet or more on roofs with slopes up to and including 7:12. On roofs with slopes greater than 7:12, fall protection is required regardless of the potential fall height.
A separate investigation by Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations remains open.