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Fatal Fall Leads to $42,000 in Fines

Jan. 28, 2002

A worker falls 37 feet to his death, prompting OSHA to issue $42,000 in fines.

Failure to supply fall protection to workers at an Andover, Mass., job site has resulted in $42,000 in proposed fines against a local roofing contractor, following an accident Oct. 12, 2001 in which a roofer fell 37 feet to his death.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited A. & M. Roofing & Sheet Metal Co. Inc. for an alleged willful violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

OSHA's inspection found that no fall protection had been provided for the deceased worker or other employees working on the roof. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations.

"This accident could have been avoided if a personal fall arrest system or an equivalent form of fall protection had been in place and in use," said Richard Fazzio, OSHA area director for Northeastern Massachusetts. "The company knew about this requirement, because it was previously cited by OSHA for the same hazard."

OSHA cited A. & M. Roofing & Sheet Metal in September 1999 for failing to provide fall protection at a Reading, Mass., job site.

A. & M. Roofing & Sheet Metal has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to either comply with them, request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

edited by Sandy Smith

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.