Cal/OSHA Cites Roofing Contractor for Repeat Fall Hazard Violations

SAN DIEGO, April 5, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cal/OSHA cited California Premier Roofscapes, Inc. for repeat violations of fall protection safety orders and proposed $134,454 in penalties. The Escondido-based company was investigated and cited on six different occasions over the past four years for putting its workers at risk of fatal falls.  

Cal/OSHA opened the most recent inspection in August of 2017 after receiving a report that workers were not wearing proper fall protection while installing tiles on the roof of a three-story Chula Vista home. Inspectors found that California Premier Roofscapes failed to ensure their workers were wearing safety harnesses and other personal fall protection. Employees were not properly trained on fall protection and roof work hazards.

"California Premier Roofscapes has repeatedly put its workers at risk of potentially deadly falls from heights, disregarding basic safety requirements to protect its employees," said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum.

Cal/OSHA issued citations to California Premier Roofscapes for four violations including:

• One repeat-serious violation for failing to ensure that workers were wearing fall protection.
• One repeat general violation for failing to effectively implement and maintain a written Injury and Illness Prevention Program.
• Two general violations for not inspecting equipment prior to each use and inadequate training on fall hazards and protection.

The first inspection with California Premier Roofscapes was opened in October 2014 after Cal/OSHA received a complaint that employees were working on an Irvine roof with no fall protection. Cal/OSHA inspected a California Premier Roofscapes' residential construction site in Azusa the following day after receiving a complaint involving an unsafe portable ladder. The following month, Cal/OSHA investigated an accident involving a worker who suffered serious head and knee injuries after falling 15 feet from a ladder attached to scaffolding at a Carlsbad residential construction site.

In June 2015, Cal/OSHA opened an inspection and cited California Premier Roofscapes for a repeat serious violation after workers with no fall protection were reported on the roof of an Irvine construction site. In March of the following year, Cal/OSHA inspected a report that California Premier Roofscapes' workers wore harnesses but were not properly tied off to prevent falls from the roof of a Tustin construction site. California Premier Roofscapes was cited for two repeat violations, one serious and one general category.

Falls are the leading cause of death in construction nationwide. In California's roofing industry, falls have caused nine deaths and 162 serious injuries since 2014.

A serious violation is cited when there is a realistic possibility that death or serious harm could result from the actual hazardous condition. A repeat violation is cited when the employer was previously cited for the same or a very similar violation and the earlier citation became final within the past 5 years.

All employers in California are required to have an effective written injury and illness prevention program, a safety program to identify, assess and control hazards in the workplace. Cal/OSHA has online tools and publications to guide employers on how to establish an effective safety program. Cal/OSHA's resources on fall protection include safety and health factsheets, residential fall protection training and a construction safety pocket guide.

Cal/OSHA helps protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California. Cal/OSHA's Consultation Services Branch provides free and voluntary assistance to employers to improve their health and safety programs. Employers should call (800) 963-9424 for assistance from Cal/OSHA Consultation Services.

Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR's Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734). The California Workers' Information line at 866-924-9757 provides recorded information in English and Spanish on a variety of work-related topics. Complaints can also be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices.

Members of the press may contact Peter Melton or Jeanne-Mairie Duval at (510) 286-1161, and are encouraged to subscribe to get email alerts on DIR's press releases or other departmental updates. 

The California Department of Industrial Relations, established in 1927, protects and improves the health, safety, and economic well-being of over 18 million wage earners, and helps their employers comply with state labor laws. DIR is housed within the Labor & Workforce Development Agency. For general inquiries, contact DIR's Communications Call Center at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734) for help in locating the appropriate division or program in our department.

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SOURCE California Department of Industrial Relations, Cal/OSHA