Roofer fined for heat-related fatality
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A Florida roofing company is facing $22,173 in proposed penalties from federal workplace safety regulators following a heat-related fatality.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Middleburg, Florida-based Southeastern Subcontractors Inc. for failing to protect employees from the hazards of working outdoors in extreme heat, according to a statement published by the agency Friday.
OSHA investigated the roofing company after an employee died from hyperthermia while working at a residential site in Jacksonville, Florida, according to the statement. Hyperthermia occurs when the body’s temperature is abnormally high because it cannot regulate the heat from the environment.
The agency issued one serious citation for exposing employees to heat-related injuries, and one other-than-serious violation for failing to report a workplace fatality to OSHA within 8 hours of its occurrence.
“Employees exposed to heat on the job, whether indoors or outdoors, are at an increased risk of suffering heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke,” Brian Sturtecky, OSHA Jacksonville area office director, said in a statement. “Tragedies such as these can be prevented if employers develop and implement a heat illness prevention program, and provide employees with water, rest and shade.”
A company spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.
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