Regrettably, news of a contractor being cited for negligence in protecting workers’ safety is a weekly occurrence. Still, the owner of a Liverpool, Pa., roofing company took that one step further: The Department of Labor says the owner risked the lives of two of his children.
The department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation of S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding LLC after the PA Department of Labor and Industry notified OSHA that the owner and his 12- and 14-year-old sons were performing roofing work.
Investigators found that the owner and his children were working atop roofs at an apartment complex in Mechanicsburg, about nine miles west of Harrisburg, exposing them to falls from heights without any fall protection.
In addition to finding the children exposed to fall hazards, OSHA determined the minors were exposed to injuries while using an incorrectly set extension ladder and pneumatic nail guns in violation of federal regulations, the Labor Department said in a July 3 news release.
"Allowing children to perform roofing work is illegal, and permitting them to do so without fall protection makes this case even more disturbing," said OSHA Area Director Kevin T. Chambers in Harrisburg.
"Falls from heights kill hundreds of workers each year and leave many more with permanent and often disabling injuries,” Chambers added. “Once again, S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding is ignoring mandatory federal regulations and putting people — this time his own children — in danger."
The case highlights several critical issues in workplace safety and child labor laws. Falls from heights remain the leading cause of fatalities and serious injuries among construction workers. In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nearly 400 deaths were related to falls from heights.
Moreover, the incident draws attention to the illegal use of child labor in hazardous jobs. Federal regulations are explicit: minors may not be exposed to perilous work conditions, such as those found on construction sites.
The agency issued the contractor a citation for five safety violations, including two classified as “willful,” and assessed $64,759 in proposed penalties.
S&L Roofing, incorporated in 2011, is currently in litigation with the commonwealth of Pennsylvania after state safety inspectors cited similar violations in 2023. OSHA also cited the company for three serious violations, including failing to use fall protective systems in two inspections in 2015.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
A call placed by Roofing Contractor to S&L Roofing seeking comment went unreturned.
