Court Orders Ohio Contractor to Comply with U.S. Department of Labor Citations, Pay Penalties, and Immediately Abate Safety Hazards

CINCINNATI, OH – The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered Casey Bortles – a roofing contractor based in Holland, Ohio – to immediately comply with the final orders resulting from uncontested citations. The court also ordered Bortles to provide proof within 10 days that he has abated cited safety hazards on his job sites, and pay $341,972 in unpaid penalties proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Since 2014, OSHA has inspected and cited Bortles seven times for exposing workers to falls, failing to train workers on fall hazards, provide eye protection, and implement an accident prevention program. Bortles has never contested a citation, paid a penalty, or provided proof of abatement of any cited violation. 

“Employers must comply with the law,” said OSHA Chicago Regional Administrator Ken Nishiyama Atha. “OSHA requirements protect workers from serious hazards. They are not just paperwork exercises.”

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 help 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 https://www.osha.gov.