U.S. Department of Labor Fines Ohio Roofing Contractor

WATERVILLE, OHIO – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Casey Bortles – a roofing contractor based in Holland, Ohio – for exposing employees to falls. OSHA proposed penalties totaling $242,534.

OSHA compliance officers observed employees working without fall and eye protection at a jobsite in Waterville, Ohio, in July 2019. OSHA cited the company for failing to provide employees with fall protection, train employees about hazards on the job, develop a jobsite safety plan and use ladders properly. Since 2014, OSHA has inspected and cited Bortles eight times for similar violations.

“This employer is risking the safety and health of workers by failing to comply with OSHA requirements to provide fall protection equipment,” said OSHA Toledo Area Director Kim Nelson. “Employers should develop safety and health programs that address specific hazards on their worksite.”

OSHA provides information and resources on preventing fall injuries and rules for properly using ladders.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.