Martha M. Alvarez, a residential roofing contractor based in Houston Texas, has received $102,300 in fines for 3 Wisconsin job sites from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The willful violations were issued because the contractor failed to provide fall protection at the inspected sites. Martha M. Alvarez has received citations for 13 violations from OSHA from 6 inspections since November 2010.
Leading Cause of Death
Kim Stille, director of OSHA’s Madison Area Office said “falls are the leading cause of death and injury in the construction industry. Employers such as Martha M. Alvarez have a responsibility to ensure that workers are provided with and trained in the use of required fall protection. OSHA is committed to protection workers, especially when employers fail to do so.”
The OSHA fall standards state; “Unprotected sides and edges.” Each employee on a walking/working surface (horizontal and vertical surface) with an unprotected side or edge which is 6 feet (1.8m) or more above a lower level shall be protected from falling by the use of guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems.
OSHA has been cracking down on contractors, roofers and other violators of the fall protection compliance since it went into effect in June of 2011.
