SALEM, Ore. – A Grants Pass roofing company is looking at an $86,000 Oregon OSHA fine for workplace safety violations. Those include repeatedly failing to safeguard workers from fall hazards. Falls are one of the leading causes of death in the construction industry.
That’s according to the Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services.
Following an inspection on a work site where GB Roofing LLC was replacing the roof of a Eugene retirement home, the company was issued a citation.
The rule GB Roofing was cited for ensures fall protection systems are implemented where employees have the potential to fall six feet or more. The inspection, which was conducted under Oregon OSHA’s prevention-based emphasis program, indicated that employees were working on the roof without fall protection and were exposed to a potential fall of about 20 feet.
Under the Oregon Safe Employment Act, workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and employers must maintain safe and healthy workplaces.
“Employers must provide fall protection to employees who are working at heights,” said Renée Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. “Providing such protective systems is not an option. It is an essential requirement for keeping workers safe while getting the job done. To repeatedly fail to address the safety of workers first serves only one purpose: to further increase the risk of injury or even death.”
This was the third time GB Roofing violated a fall protection requirement since May 2022. Because of this, Oregon OSHA issued a penalty of $84,996. The company also received a citation for failing to provide eye protection for employees exposed to flying particles, which carries a penalty of $1,153, putting the total fine at $86,149.
The company corrected the violations during the inspection and it has 30 calendar days from that date to file an appeal.
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