Fall-Protection Procedures Plague Repeat Offender

Fall-protection procedures Violations hit repeat offender.On December, 2016, the United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued fall-protection procedures citations to Illinois-based roofing company, Redhawk Roofing Inc., for multiple safety hazards, including four repeated violations, at a Winnetka facility. For those violations, OSHA proposed a penalty of $63,494.

The OSHA investigation was prompted after Redhawk employees were observed working at heights up to 23 feet without adequate fall-protection, while roofing a residential home in Winnetka. Such practices violate OSHA guidelines for safe fall-protection procedures.

OSHA found that the following violations existed:

  • Failure to implement proper fall-protection
  • Improper rigging of established fall-protection systems
  • Failure to implement restrictions for workers, carrying loads up ladders.
  • Failure to implement adequate eye-protection for employees operating pneumatic nail guns and electric saws

OSHA cited the company for similar faulty fall-protection procedures previously in 2014 and 2015.

OSHA Chicago North Office area director, Angeline Loftus, said, “Each year, hundreds of workers suffer severe injuries when they fall on the job. Redhawk Roofing needs to immediately review its safety procedures, and follow OSHA standards to protect workers on the job before disaster strikes.”

One of the most common injuries sustained in a construction workplace is a fall. Basic fall-protection procedures to protect against potential falls is to mandate that all employees utilize adequate fall-protection equipment, rigging, and systems.

Another commonly observed violation is that of equipment with faulty guards or a lack of a guard, altogether. When working with equipment that is powered, especially if that equipment features a saw or projectile system, like a nail gun or circular saw, proper protective eyewear is important. Not only is such a violation an easily avoidable one, but a projectile injury is also an easy one to sustain, repeatedly. With so many various types of equipment in the general industry workplace, safety leaders need to make sure to utilize an OSHA-approved training course to ensure that they avoid non-compliance and do their part to protect their employees.