The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is proposing a 77-thousand dollar fine against a South Dakota company. The penalties come after a 24 year old worker fell to his death from 33 feet.
Employees at the Pro-Tec Roofing company were on the roof of the Watertown Community Center when the accident happened. OSHA found two willful and eight serious safety violations present at the company. These include failing to train workers on fall protection and providing the necessary equipment. Scott Allen is the US Department of Labor. He says people can forget how important safety training is.
“It’s imperative that any company working in the construction industry is aware that falls are the leading cause of workplace fatality in the industry. In 2014, 345 people lost their lives to falls. This is something that we believe and are absolutely certain that could be prevented if all OSHA standards and regulations are followed,” says Allen.
Allen says Pro-Tec Roofing has 15 days to acknowledge or contest the penalties. The case then travels to an independent law judge.