Ohio contractor with history of violations fined again for fall hazards
Since 2011, the contractor has been cited at least seven times for exposing workers to fall hazards.
An Ohio contractor with a history of disregarding worksite safety regulations, particularly around fall hazards, has again drawn the attention of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for once again exposing workers to potentially deadly fall hazards.
Falls are the leading cause of construction site fatalities, accounting for one-third of worksite deaths in the building trades. OSHA reported that in late 2021, 351 of the 1,008 construction workers who died on the job were deaths related to falls from elevation.
The latest run-in with OSHA was not the first for Benny Troyer Roofing and Trail Roofing LLC. According to OSHA, the companies had been cited for similar violations in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021.
The most recent violations occurred at a job site in Akron, Ohio, where OSHA inspectors saw two employees of Benny Troyer Roofing and Trail Roofing LLC working at heights up to 20 feet without adequate fall protection. Benny Troyer, owner of the eponymously named roofing company, was at the worksite when the violation occurred, according to OSHA inspectors, who also witnessed Troyer employees improperly using ladders and not wearing proper head, face and eye protection.
In total, the February 2022 inspection uncovered one repeat safety violation, two willful violations and one serious violation. Troyer received a $228,126 fine for the most recent violations and has another $108,318 in unpaid penalties due.
“These concerns are not new for this company. OSHA has explained abatement and safety procedures to Mr. Troyer repeatedly, but he continues to defy federal inspectors and gamble with workers’ lives,” OSHA Area Director Howard Eberts, said in a release. “No other cause kills more construction industry workers than falls from elevation. OSHA will hold this employer and others accountable for failing to provide safe working conditions.”
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