Washington Roofers Fined $1.27M for Putting Workers at Risk of Falling

Four Washington roofing companies are facing $1.27 million in fines from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries for safety violations including allowing workers on top of homes without fall protection.

L&I cited and fined Allways Roofing Inc. $345,700 on June 24 for workers not using fall protection properly while re-roofing a two-story home in Mill Creek. The company’s foreman showed inspectors his workers wearing safety harnesses that he said had been tied to anchor points on the main roof. He said the roofers chose not to wear the fall protection system while working on the roof above the garage.

Three months prior, Allways Roofing was fined nearly $500,000 for seven willful violations including workers not using fall protection while re-roofing a three-story building in Snohomish and for not wearing eye protection while using pneumatic nail guns.

Over the past 12 years, L&I has reportedly cited and fined Allways Roofing for 124 safety violations, mostly for workers not using fall protection. The company currently owes more than $4 million in fines to the state. It has 15 business days to appeal the latest citation and fine.

Other companies cited by L&I for fall protection violations over the last three months include:

• SSHI LLC, which does business as DR Horton, was fined $132,000 on June 20 for not ensuring the workers of its subcontractors were using fall protection or wearing safety glasses while operating a pneumatic nail gun and saw. L&I has inspected the company 14 times in the past three years with two repeat and eight serious violations. The company did not appeal the latest citation and fines.
• Pulte Homes of Washington Inc. was fined $99,000 on April 23 for not ensuring the workers of its subcontractors were using fall protection on a steep pitched roof of a two-story building and no eye protection when operating a pneumatic nail gun. L&I has inspected Pulte Homes seven times in the past three years, resulting in two repeat serious and six serious violations. The company is appealing the latest citation and fines.
• Valentine Roofing was fined $207,000 March 29 for six willful serious violations. Inspectors said the safety lines were too long and had a worker fallen, they would have hit the ground well before the safety arrest system stopped them. Valentine Roofing reportedly has 10 prior inspections over the past three years, one with repeat serious violation. The company is appealing the latest citation and fine.

Topics Washington