14-year-old falls from local roofing job; OSHA issues major fines
CLEVELAND, OH — OSHA simply introduced as we speak major fines towards two local roofing firms. One incident entails a 14-year-old boy falling from a roof.
5 On Your Side Investigators obtained doorbell video from throughout the road of a roofing job on Pebble Court in Berea on December 17, 2020. In the video, you’ll be able to see roofers from Double M Roofing & Construction on high of a apartment. All of a sudden, the boy slipped and fell 20 ft to the driveway beneath.
Workers known as 9-1-1. “A guy on a roofing crew just fell off of a roof,” could be heard from the recorded name. “He’s unconscious. He’s unresponsive in a driveway.”
With EMS on the best way, the caller described the accidents. “There is blood on the ground next to his mouth…not very much, just a small, little bit,” mentioned the caller. “He is wheezing. His breathing is very labored… non-responsive.”
“Roofing work is…one of the most dangerous construction jobs in the country,” mentioned Howie Eberts who’s the Area Director of the OSHA Office in Cleveland. He informed us teenagers aren’t alleged to be on roofing jobs in any respect.
“It was horrible, especially right before Christmas. I felt so bad,” mentioned Eberts. “My thoughts and prayers go out to this 14-year-old and their family.”
Eberts informed us the boy had important head trauma and mind accidents. Then, on the web site of the accident, Eberts mentioned police and EMS seen employees attempting to cowl up the truth that they weren’t carrying security units.
“They were putting on their fall protection after the fact,” mentioned Eberts. “So, that was disturbing to us as well.”
And if that wasn’t dangerous sufficient, two weeks later, OSHA mentioned it did one other inspection of Double M Roofing & Construction, and employees have been nonetheless not carrying fall safety gear.
“Even though the company was aware of the fall and the requirement for fall protection, and had all the fall protection equipment, they refused to use it,” Eberts mentioned.
OSHA fined Double M Roofing & Construction primarily based out of West Farmington almost $75,000 for these incidents.
We have reached out to the corporate and its proprietor Melvin Schmucker. We haven’t heard again but. The firm has three weeks to reply to the fines and make any disputes.
Meanwhile, OSHA additionally introduced it fined one other roofing firm proprietor Ivan Lowky from ILS Construction in Hartville almost $120,000 for not utilizing fall safety gear throughout a November 2020 job in Canton. OSHA reported it’s the sixth violation since 2012 for Lowky, who’s racked up greater than $300,000 in fines. OSHA informed us Lowky hasn’t made one fee on any of the violations.
