OSHA cites High Springs roofing contractor for workplace safety failures for the 8th time; proposes $183K in penalties

High Springs, FL – Despite the unfortunate truth that more than 800 construction workers in the U.S. die each year in job-related incidents – with falls the leading cause – a federal workplace safety inspection has cited a High Springs roofing contractor for the eighth time for failing to protect workers from fatal fall hazards and other dangers.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated an inspection at a DWC Contracting LLC worksite in Gainesville in December 2020 and found three workers installing roofing materials on a two-story residential home without fall protection. Inspectors cited the company for willfully failing to ensure fall protection such as guardrails, safety nets and personal fall arrest systems were in place.

OSHA also cited DWC Contracting for serious violations for allowing employees to work without appropriate eye or face protection while using high-powered pneumatic nail guns. The agency found repeat violations for failing to extend ladders at least 3 feet above an upper landing. OSHA proposed $183,225 in penalties for the violations.

“This company refused to follow the law and protect its workers from serious hazards,” said OSHA Area Director Michelle Gonzalez in Jacksonville, Florida. “The well-known protections that the employer failed to provide are not optional, they are every workers’ right.”

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its 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.

OSHA provides useful information on protecting roofing workers and the required use of fall protection in construction.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. Learn more about OSHA.