North Florida contractor continues to expose roofing workers to dangerous falls, other safety hazards; OSHA proposes nearly $77K in penalties

Employer name: Bobby Campbell Roofing Inc.

Inspection site: 558 Pullman Circle, St. Augustine, Florida 32084

Citations issued: Citations were issued to the employer on April 16.

Investigation findings: Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to Bobby Campbell Roofing for one willful, two serious and one other-than-serious safety violations after visiting a work site at a San Salito residence where workers were installing roofing shingles. This inspection fell under OSHA’s Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction.

The willful citation was issued for the employer’s failure to provide fall protection equipment for employees working from heights up to 10 feet. The serious violations involve not providing employees with protective gloves while applying roofing cement and failing to train workers to inspect and install anchor devices for fall protection. The other violation relates to not labeling hazardous material.

Proposed penalties: $76,930

Background: The agency has issued the company repeat and serious citations for a lack of fall protection and other hazards six times since June 2010.

Quote: “Bobby Campbell Roofing continues to ignore OSHA’s fall protection and other safety standards despite repeat citations and warnings of risks to their employees. National home builders have a responsibility not to allow a culture of neglect and flagrant disregard for worker safety to exist,” said Brian Sturtecky, OSHA’s area director in Jacksonville. “Home builders and general contractors can do a simple safety history check on OSHA’s website before hiring a subcontractor that would reveal an employer’s lack of commitment to worker safety.”  

The citations can be viewed at: http://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/legacy-files/newsroom/newsreleases/OSHA20160655.pdf

Based in St. Augustine, Bobby Campbell was a subcontractor hired by D.R. Horton for the roofing work. The employer has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions; obtain compliance assistance; file a complaint or report amputations, eye loss, 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 Jacksonville Area Office at 904-232-2895.