Fines pile up for roofing company in fall protection violations
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A Portland, Oregon, contractor is facing $65,000 more in fines for repeatedly violating workplace safety standards on fall protection, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division announced Tuesday.
West Coast Roofing and Painting Inc. has a history of failing to implement adequate fall protection systems – such as a personal fall restraint system or other measures – where workers are exposed to falling six feet or more to a lower level, according to Oregon OSHA, which says the company has been fined $175,000 since 2019 for same offenses.
Oregon OSHA opened the inspection in late March under the division’s emphasis program to prevent falls in the construction industry. The inspection examined West Coast Roofing and Painting’s work on a single-story residential building on Southeast Ivon Street in Portland. The inspection found approximately five employees, working on a roofing project, were exposed to falls to the ground of more than 10 feet with no fall protection in place.
It is the seventh time the company has violated the same fall protection requirement. Oregon OSHA records show that, since 2019, the company has been cited for the same violation as part of six separate inspections of different job locations in the Portland metro area.
Under Oregon OSHA’s rules, penalties multiply when employers commit repeat offenses.
