SALEM — The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) has fined a Grants Pass roofing company $86,149 for workplace safety violations, including repeatedly failing to safeguard workers from fall hazards that could seriously injure or kill them. The division cited GB Roofing LLC following an inspection of a job site in Eugene where work was being done to replace the roof on a retirement home. The inspection was conducted under Oregon OSHA’s prevention-based emphasis program addressing workers exposed to fall hazards. Employees were working on the roof without fall protection, according to the inspection. They were exposed to a potential fall of about 20 feet to the ground. GB Roofing had violated a rule requiring employers to ensure that fall protection systems are provided, installed, and implemented where employees are exposed to a hazard of falling six feet or more to a lower level. This was the third time since May 2022 that GB Roofing violated fall protection requirements. Oregon OSHA issued a penalty of $84,996 for the third-repeat violation. Under the Oregon Safe Employment Act, workers have a right to a safe and healthy workplace, and employers must maintain safe and healthy workplaces. In the construction industry, falls are one of the leading causes of death. “Employers must provide fall protection to employees who are working at heights,” said Renée Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA. “Providing such protective systems is not an option. It is an essential requirement for keeping workers safe while getting the job done. To repeatedly fail to address the safety of workers first serves only one purpose: to further increase the risk of injury or even death.” GB Roofing was also cited for failing to provide eye protection to employees who were exposed to flying particles from the use of pneumatic staplers. It was a serious violation carrying a penalty of $1,153. During the inspection, the company corrected the violations identified by Oregon OSHA. The total penalty issued against GB Roofing included a standard penalty reduction based on the small size of the company. Under Oregon OSHA’s rules, penalties multiply when employers commit repeat offenses. Employers have 30 calendar days after receiving a citation to file an appeal. In addition to its enforcement activities, Oregon OSHA offers employers free resources to help improve workplace safety and health. These resources include the division’s Fall Protection Suite of online video training courses and its A-to-Z topic page about fall protection. The Fall Protection Suite includes courses addressing fall protection fundamentals, construction, roofing, and ladder safety. Employers are encouraged to use free resources – available now from Oregon OSHA and involving no fault, no citations, and no penalties – for help protecting their employees.
