Roofing company cited for repeat fall protection violations

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division has fined a roofing and painting company in Portland $104,000 for six job safety violations, including repeatedly failing to follow the minimum requirements to protect workers from fall hazards, according to an announcement issued Thursday.

Oregon OSHA cited West Coast Roofing and Painting Inc. following an inspection that included an examination of work activity at a residential construction site in Portland, interviews of employees and a supervisor, and a review of the company’s recordkeeping practices, according to a statement.

Of the six violations cited by Oregon OSHA, five were repeat.

In one violation, the company failed to follow requirements to implement adequate fall protection systems – such as a personal fall arrest system – where workers are exposed to falling six feet or more to a lower level. The company left four employees in danger of potentially falling about 11 feet to 22 feet, according to the statement.

The failure to comply with Oregon OSHA’s six-foot trigger-height requirements was a repeat violation by West Coast Roofing and Painting. It was among a string of such violations committed by the company since May 2018, according to the statement.

The company could not immediately be reached for comment.