TUMWATER, Wash. — Two Washington-based roofing companies are facing large fines for allowing workers to roof on top of homes without using fall protection, among other safety violations.
According to a release from the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), Allways Roofing Inc. of Snohomish and United Roofing Solutions Inc. of Olympia are facing a combined total of $1.09 million in fines following recent inspections. Both companies are on the L&I's Severe Violator Enforcement Program list.
Allways Roofing
L&I has inspected Allways Roofing 11 times in the past three years — all prompted by reports of roofers not wearing fall protection. The two most recent citations include $788,000 in fines. According to L&I, Allways Roofing has accumulated nearly $2.5 million in penalties over the past 15 months, with most of the violations centering on fall protection rules.
“On the latest inspections, we heard from a concerned neighbor who saw a worker nearly fall off a roof before the foreman was able to grab them just before they went over the edge,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director of L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health. “It’s only a matter of time before we’re inspecting a fatality at one of their worksites.”
Allways Roofing has had at least seven serious injuries, including five falls from heights and two eye injuries from nail guns.
United Roofing Solutions
L&I opened an inspection of United Roofing Solutions last March after a compliance safety and health officer drove by a job site and observed six roofers on top of a house not wearing fall protection or safety glasses. The company was cited for repeat, willful, serious violations for not using fall protection, a $305,254 penalty.
United Roofing Solutions has been inspected by L&I a dozen times since it opened in 2009 and has been cited and fined more than $500,000 for workers not wearing fall protection.
“United is showing intentional disregard for the safety of their workers,” said Blackwood. “We will be relentless in our efforts to protect their workers, even if they don’t.”
United Roofing Solutions has appealed the citation and fine. Allways Roofing did not file an appeal.
