Three times in four months, Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors observed workers employed by roofing company Araujo Construction Corp., Calumet City, Ill., exposed to deadly fall hazards at job sites in Lake Zurich, Ill., and Wheeling, Ill., according to osha.gov. In each instance, the company’s on-site foremen failed to protect workers from known hazards as they performed residential framing work on new homes under construction. The company is not an NRCA member.
Following three OSHA investigations, Araujo Construction faces $277,524 in proposed penalties after workplace safety inspectors identified two willful, four repeat and six serious violations May 5, Aug. 22 and Sept. 14.
On May 5, OSHA inspectors informed company officials and a foreman at the Lake Zurich site they were violating federal law by allowing employees to work at heights exceeding 30 feet without fall protection. On Aug. 22, inspectors returned to Lake Zurich to find the company’s workers again exposed to the fall hazards. On Sept. 14, OSHA inspectors found the company committing similar violations in Wheeling as employees worked at heights exceeding 15 feet. OSHA requires guardrail, safety net or personal fall-arrest systems—or some combination of these—be used during roofing activities at 6 feet or more above lower levels.
OSHA also determined Araujo Construction allowed workers to use ladders improperly and work on elevated platforms without fall prevention such as rails and kickboards. Additionally, the company did not ensure workers using air-powered nail guns wore eye, head and face protection and did not provide training regarding safe use of forklifts.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 1,008 construction workers died on the job in 2020, with 351 of those fatalities related to falls from elevation.
NRCA’s classes, webinars and products offer information to ensure you can keep your employees safe on job sites. Visit NRCA’s bookstore and course catalog.
