U.S. Department of Labor Cites Florida Roofing Contractor For Failing to Protect Employees from Falls and Other Hazards

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited CJM Roofing Inc. – based in West Palm, Florida – for exposing employees to fall and other hazards at three residential worksites in Jensen Beach and Port St. Lucie, Florida. The contractor faces penalties totaling $199,711.

OSHA initiated inspections in November 2019 and March 2020, as part of the Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction, after inspectors observed employees working on roofs without fall protection. OSHA cited the company for failing to provide a fall protection system, ensure that portable ladders extend above the upper landing, and conduct regular inspections of the jobsite to identify safety hazards. The agency has inspected the company eight times in the past five years, resulting in repeat violations of the fall protection standard.

“Companies that fail to comply with fall prevention requirements are placing workers at risk for serious injuries,” said OSHA Fort Lauderdale Area Director Condell Eastmond. “This employer must take immediate action by conducting required hazard assessments and correcting dangerous working conditions.”

OSHA’s Fall Protection in Residential Construction webpage provides resources on various residential activities.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed 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 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.