A Massachusetts roofing contractor with a history of OSHA violations was cited again for exposing workers to fall, scaffolding and ladder hazards.
OSHA began its Aug. 17, 2023 inspection at a worksite in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood in response to a complaint that workers on the roof of a residential property weren’t using fall protection.
Inspectors observed multiple violations involving inadequate fall protection, scaffolds, ladders, training, safety inspections and PPE. They found that eight workers were exposed to falls of up to 20 feet because they weren’t wearing fall protection and lacked training on fall hazards.
Since 2011, OSHA has cited this contractor for similar hazards at various worksites in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Fine: $306,229
Company: Brothers Construction Services Inc., Framingham, Massachusetts
Business: Roofing contractors
Reasons for fine:
Four willful violations for failing to:
- protect employees performing residential construction activities 6 feet or more above lower levels by using guardrail, safety net or personal fall arrest systems
- develop a program to ensure compliance with fall protection requirements
- ensure ladder side rails extended at least 3 feet above upper landing surfaces
- prevent employees from using ladders while carrying loads that could cause them to lose balance and fall
Seven repeat violations for failing to:
- provide employees with protective helmets when exposed to potential head injuries
- ensure that employees used eye or face protection when exposed to hazards such as flying particles, molten metal and liquid chemicals
- ensure that only trained and experienced employees erected scaffolding on the worksite
- provide fall protection to employees working on scaffolds more than 10 feet above lower levels
- ensure ladders used to support ladder jack scaffolding met OSHA requirements
- use devices to prevent slipping on ladders used to support ladder jacks
- prevent scaffold platforms from being bridged onto other platforms
One serious violation for failing to:
- develop programs that provided for frequent and regular inspections of the worksite by competent individuals
One other-than serious violation for failing to:
- provide OSHA with injury and illness logs within four business hours of the request
