July 3, 2024

Department of Labor finds Pennsylvania roofing contractor willfully exposed own children to potentially deadly falls at Mechanicsburg site

S&L Roofing, Gutters, and Siding again placed children in highly dangerous conditions

LIVERPOOL, PA – The owner of a Liverpool roofing company risked the lives of two of his children by exposing them to falls from heights — the construction industry's leading cause of death — while they worked on roofs atop a Mechanicsburg apartment complex in June 2024, a U.S. Department of Labor investigation has found.

Inspectors with the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation of S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding LLC after the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry notified the agency that the owner and his 12- and 14-year-old sons were doing roofing work. 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 agency issued the contractor a citation for five safety violations, including two classified as willful, and assessed $64,759 in proposed penalties, an amount set by federal statute.

"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, Pennsylvania. "Falls from heights kill hundreds of workers each year and leave many more with permanent and often disabling injuries. Once again, S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding is ignoring mandatory federal regulations and putting people – this time his own children – in danger."

S&L Roofing is currently in litigation with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania after similar violations were cited by Pennsylvania safety inspectors in 2023. OSHA also cited the company for three serious violations for failing to use fall protective systems in two inspections in 2015.

In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1,069 construction workers died on the job. Of those deaths, 395 were related to falls from heights. 

OSHA's "Stop Falls" web page offers safety information and video presentations in English and Spanish to teach workers about fall hazards and proper safety procedures. 

Incorporated in 2011, S&L Roofing, Gutters and Siding LLC provides home improvement services in the Harrisburg area.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Learn more about OSHA.

Media Contacts:

Leni Fortson, 215-861-5102, uddyback-fortson.lenore@dol.gov
Joanna Hawkins, 215-861-5101, hawkins.joanna@dol.gov

Release Number:  24-1299-PHI