GP Roofing & Construction LLC and Archer Exteriors Inc. were cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 12 safety violations for exposing workers to falls and other hazards at two residential worksites in the Whisper Dunes subdivision of Panama City Beach and at one worksite in The Davenport subdivision of Panama City.
Archer Exteriors, of Pensacola, subcontracted with Palm Coast-based GP Roofing & Construction to install shingles at the three jobsites. OSHA initiated the inspections beginning in March 2014 as part of its Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction. Proposed penalties total $355,300.
"The employer knowingly continues to put workers' lives at risk of serious injury or death by not ensuring proper safety measures are implemented to protect employees from dangerous falls at all worksites," said Brian Sturtecky, OSHA's area director in Jacksonville. "Although safety harnesses and ropes were available at the Panama City site, management decided not to use the fall protection because they didn't have tie-down brackets."
OSHA cited GP Roofing & Construction for three willful safety violations, carrying $210,000 in penalties. The inspection found that the employer failed to provide workers with fall protection systems, which exposed them to falls of between 9 and 11 feet while they performed roofing work at the three jobsites. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health. GP Roofing & Construction has been placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
OSHA Fall Prevention Fact Sheet
The roofing company was also cited for four repeat violations, carrying $108,900 in penalties, for allowing workers to use powered nail guns without eye and face protection and for failing to extend ladders three feet above the landing surface for roof access. These violations occurred at two worksites. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The company was previously cited for these same violations in 2012.
Video: Construction Safety - Eye Protection
GP Roofing & Construction was cited for three serious violations, with penalties of $21,000, for using extension ladders improperly at two locations and for failure to require employees to face the ladder when descending from the roof. Another violation was for not clearing debris from the area around the bottom of the ladder. A serious citation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Archer Exteriors, the general contractor, was cited for one repeat violation, with a penalty of $15,400, for allowing GP Roofing & Construction employees to install flashing at heights of 10 feet without fall protection systems. The company was cited for this same violation in 2011. The current citations for both companies can be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/GPRoofingandConstructionLLC_966129_75920_981964_ArcherExteriorsInc_991274.pdf.
GP Roofing & Construction has been inspected by OSHA 13 times since 2011, which resulted in willful, repeat and serious citations for fall protection, ladders, safety glasses, first aid kits and hazard communications. Archer Exteriors has been inspected six times within the past five years and was cited in three of those inspections.
The companies have 15 business days from receipt of their citations and proposed penalties to comply, request a conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety & Health Review Commission.
