Small Contractors See Most Roofing Falls

As the raw number of construction industry falls increased by more than 52%, the majority of the accidents, 70%, occurred at smaller companies that employ 10 or fewer employees.
Maryland-based Center for Construction Research and Training cited its analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 2011 to 2022.
Falls to a lower level and falls on the same level accounted for 13.4% and 9.9%, respectively, of all cases of days away from work.
The findings were presented in a July webinar that is available for viewing at this link.
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Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su said that OSHA’s proposed heat rules would provide employers with more precise guidance on what is required of them and give the agency more specific ways to cite employers that fail to comply.
Meeting with union leaders in Tempe, Arizona on Thursday, Su and her staff said the proposal would provide $9.2 billion in total benefits annually for avoided heat-related deaths.
According to the AZCentral report, Phoenix recently enacted rules to protect workers from heat.
Su cited examples of local officials elsewhere attempting similar measures only to be overruled by their state governments in Florida and Texas.
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A Chicago-area framing contractor, KW Framing, already facing debt collection for more than $100,000 in fines for earlier violations, now faces an additional $317,644 in penalties from two recent investigations.
The Justice, Illinois firm is also ignoring the U.S. Labor Department’s requests for documents and information related to the contractor’s business and workers’ safety and health.
Following January and May inspections earlier this year, OSHA cited KW Framing for one repeat violation for failure to provide eye protection and two willful citations for its lack of fall protection.
To date, the company has not responded to OSHA’s 2022 citations or paid $117,843 in penalties assessed, which has led the department to seek debt collection.
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