NAPLES, Fla. — Ad-Ler Roofing Inc. has been cited by OSHA for exposing employees to dangerous falls at a Naples, Fla. worksite — its fourth citation in one year — and at least one company official reportedly is not too happy.
According to an OSHA press release, the agency inspected the Naples site last July as part of its Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction and inspectors observed the company’s employees performing roofing activities without fall protection.
The citation notes inspectors found workers without fall protection working on a roof with a pitch of 5:12 and more than 11 feet from the ground. Additionally, the citation indicates Ft. Myers, Fla.-based Ad-Ler was cited a total of four times at different worksites in 2018.
As a result of the citations, Ad-Ler faces fines of up to $91,466.
“Companies are required to provide employees with fall protection when they work at heights of 6 feet or higher,” said Ft. Lauderdale OSHA Area Office Director Condell Eastmond. “Ad-Ler Roofing is putting workers at risk of serious injury by failing to comply with OSHA’s fall protection standards.”
Per standard procedure, the company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
However, one official spoke out to the Miami Herald already.
COO Ryan Gartrell took OSHA to task for punishing companies but not employees when violations are observed. According to the Miami Herald, Gartrell wrote a lengthy email to the newspaper in response to a reporter asking about the violations.
Roofing Contractor has asked Ad-Ler to respond to the situation but has not received a reply.
The Miami Herald story included the following response from Gartrell:
“We fully understand their mission and support it; but we don’t feel that their method of enforcement does anything to further employee safety in our occupation,” Gartrell wrote. “We also feel that their enforcement can be selective at times and based on prior histories and deeper pockets.”
At least five Florida-based companies have received similar violations in recent months as OSHA continues to execute its Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction.
