June 11, 2020

U.S. Department of Labor Cites Roofing Contractor After Employee Suffers Fatal Fall at Alabama Worksite

MOBILE, AL – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited roofing contractor Elmer Julio Perez – operating as Julio Perez – for failing to protect employees from fall hazards after a worker fatally fell from a residential roof at a Mobile, Alabama, worksite. The company faces $138,118 in penalties.

OSHA cited the employer for failing to ensure that employees used fall protection, and report a hospitalization within 24 hours and a fatality within 8 hours, as required. The agency has established a Regional Emphasis Program on Falls in Construction to reduce exposure to fall hazards in construction.

"Allowing employees to work at heights without using proper fall protection methods increases the risk of serious or fatal injuries," said OSHA Mobile Area Director Jose Gonzalez. "Employers have an obligation to ensure the working conditions are free of hazards."

OSHA’s Fall Protection in Construction booklet provides information on regulatory standards, including conventional fall protection systems, fall restraints, and training. The Fall Protection webpage offers extensive reference materials to help employers and workers recognize and prevent fall hazards.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed 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.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education, and assistance. For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov.

The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights.

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Media Contacts:

Eric R. Lucero, 678-237-0630, lucero.eric.r@dol.gov

Release Number: 20-1163-ATL (233)

U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The Department's Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the Department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).