The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials announced on Dec. 4 that a Lake Zurich, Ill., roofing contractor has been fined for exposing workers to falls from elevation.
For Fino Exterior Inc., this is the eighth time since 2020 that federal workplace safety inspectors have cited the contractor for putting employees’ safety at risk from falls, which remain the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries among people employed in the construction industry.
According to OSHA, inspectors observed employees working atop residential structures without legally required fall protection equipment on four occasions in 2024, in Palatine on Feb. 6, Orland Park on June 12, Palos Heights on Aug. 16 and Shorewood on Oct. 16. All communities are located within the greater Chicagoland area.
Fino Exterior’s troubling history of ignoring federal safety regulations continues; OSHA cited the company for 13 safety violations in three inspections in four months and proposed $262,631 in penalties.
“Fino Exterior’s blatant disregard for its employees’ safety is a callous invitation to tragedy,” OSHA Chicago South Area Director James Martineck said in the statement. “All too often, our inspectors find construction contractors violating regulations repeatedly in their misguided belief that their workers will not fall victim to serious injuries or worse.”
In addition to a lack of fall protection, OSHA cited Fino Exterior for the following violations:
- Permitting employees to work near energized power lines.
- Not providing employees with required hard hats.
- Failing to train workers in fall protection hazards and prevention.
- Lack of eye protection for workers operating pneumatic nail guns.
- Improper use of ladders.
“A worker can lose their footing and fall off a roof in seconds,” Martineck added. “Falls from elevation can cause life-altering and deadly injuries all of which can be prevented by using required protective equipment and training workers in its use. Employers who ignore their obligations are putting their workers’ lives and well-being in serious risk.”
The dozen-plus infractions this year continue a pattern of similar citations issued against the company since 2020. Two others were issued under a previous operating name, Arellano Roofing Corp. The Labor Department said Fino Exteriors Inc. is liable for $65,115 in unpaid OSHA penalties.
