Roofer's death could have been prevented with personal safety gear

KNOB NOSTER, Mo. — A 30-year-old roofer's life was cut tragically short in November 2014 after he suffered severe head trauma in a fall. A father of two young boys, the man was found unresponsive below a 32-foot extension ladder he was using to renovate a roof at a two-story building at Missouri's Whiteman Air Force Base.

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that if his employer, Midwest Roofing, had given the man the required equipment to stop his fall, he might have lived to teach his sons how to find arrowheads, a boyhood pastime he shared with his grandfather.

"In mere seconds, a family was tragically altered forever. No family should have to suffer a terrible loss," said Barbara Theriot, OSHA's area director in Kansas City, Missouri. "Making sure protective equipment is used and working properly saves lives and prevents injuries. Companies that put their workers dangerously high above the ground are responsible for protecting them."

The lack of fall protection led OSHA inspectors to cite Midwest Roofing for six serious safety violations at the multiemployer work site. Infinite Energy Construction, the general contractor on the site, was cited for four serious safety violations related to OSHA standards for fall protection.

OSHA inspectors found workers were not trained about fall protection equipment and standards or ladder safety and were not protected from falls greater than six feet. Inspectors also discovered that areas around the top and bottom of the ladder were not clear of materials.

OSHA has proposed penalties of $29,400 to Rapid City, South Dakota-based Midwest Roofing and $19,600 in penalties to Infinite Energy Construction, based in Knob Noster.

To educate construction workers and employers about how to recognize fall hazards and reduce their risks, OSHA and its partners encourage all employees and employers who face workplace fall hazards to participate in this year's National Safety Stand-Down from May 4-15.

The newly launched National Safety Stand-Down website for 2015 provides details on how to:

• Conduct a Stand-Down event for your company.
• Obtain a certificate of participation.
• Access free education and training resources, fact sheets and outreach materials in English and Spanish. Find free Stand-Down events open to the public.

The National Safety Stand-Down initiative was launched three years ago with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda and The Center for Construction Research and Training. Additional partners for this year's event include the American Society for Safety Engineers; National Safety Council; National Construction Safety Executives; U.S. Air Force; OSHA-approved state plans; state consultation programs; and OSHA Training Institute Education Centers.

Both companies have 15 business days from receipt of their citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Kansas City, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Kansas City Area Office at 816-483-9531.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.