Supplier of roofing materials to Salem job site fined $92,226 for repeatedly exposing workers to fall hazards

Salem, OR - The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) has fined a building materials supplier $92,226 for repeatedly failing to protect workers from potential fall hazards that could seriously injure or kill them. The citation issued to ABC Supply Co. Inc. of Beloit, Wisconsin, followed an inspection of a jobsite in Salem where the company was supplying roofing materials.

The inspection found two employees using a conveyor system to load and distribute roofing materials at a house. One employee - stationed at ground level - loaded the conveyor while the other employee - positioned on the roof - took the materials from the conveyor and placed them throughout the roof's structure. The employee walked and carried materials on the roof with no fall protection system in place, according to the inspection. The employee was exposed to a potential fall of up to 18 feet to the ground.

ABC Supply Co. Inc. violated a rule requiring employers to ensure that fall protection systems are provided, installed, and implemented where employees are exposed to a hazard of falling 6 feet or more to a lower level.

Oregon OSHA conducted the inspection under its prevention-based emphasis program addressing workers exposed to fall hazards.

This was the third time since July 2022 that ABC Supply Co. Inc. violated fall protection requirements at jobsites in Oregon. Oregon OSHA issued a penalty of $92,226 for the third repeat violation.

Under the Oregon Safe Employment Act, workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and employers must maintain safe and healthy workplaces.

In the construction industry, falls are one of the leading causes of death.

"Any job task where an employee is assigned to work at heights must be taken seriously by employers. Our fall protection standards are there to safeguard workers each step of the way, from supply and distribution to finishing the project," said Renée Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. "Our standards are clear and practical. Repeatedly failing to follow them is unacceptable."

The total penalty issued against ABC Supply Co. Inc. included a standard penalty reduction based on the size of the company. Under Oregon OSHA's rules, penalties multiply when employers commit repeat offenses.

Employers have 30 calendar days after receiving a citation to file an appeal. ABC Supply Co. Inc. has appealed the citation.

In addition to its enforcement activities, Oregon OSHA offers employers free resources to help improve workplace safety and health. These resources include the division's Fall Protection Suite of online video training courses and its A-to-Z topic page about fall protection. The Fall Protection Suite includes courses addressing fall protection fundamentals, construction, roofing, and ladder safety.

Employers are encouraged to use free resources - available now from Oregon OSHA and involving no fault, no citations, and no penalties - for help protecting their employees:

Consultation services - Provides free help with safety and health programs, including how to control and eliminate hazards, and hands-on training

• Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
• Field offices
• Online
• Email: [email protected]

Technical staff - Helps employers understand requirements and how to apply them to their worksites

• Phone (toll-free in Oregon): 800-922-2689
• Online
• Email: [email protected]
  

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About Oregon OSHA:

Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, enforces the state's workplace safety and health rules and works to improve workplace safety and health for all Oregon workers. For more information, go to osha.oregon.gov.

The Department of Consumer and Business Services is Oregon's largest business regulatory and consumer protection agency. For more information, go to www.oregon.gov/dcbs/.