The hammer has come down on a Wisconsin-based supplier of roofing materials after repeated safety violations at a job site in Salem. Oregon's Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) issued a hefty $92,226 fine to ABC Supply Co. Inc. for failing to thoroughly protect their workers from dangerous fall hazards, according to the Department of Consumer and Business Services. The citation is a consequence of an inspection that revealed a lack of fall protection systems, risking serious injury or death.
The violation discovery happened during a routine check where two employees were found loading roofing materials onto a house. One worker was ground-bound, managing the conveyor, while another perilously handled the materials on the roof without any fall protection, exposed to an 18-foot drop. Oregon OSHA indicates that these findings show ABC Supply Co. Inc. blatantly failed to adequately safeguard their workers from potential falls.
As per OSHA's press release, this isn't the supplier's first offense. This recent citation marks the third time since July 2022 that ABC Supply Co. Inc. has been caught shirking fall protection responsibilities in Oregon. With each repeat offense, the penalties have sharply increased, sending a clear message that consistently ignoring safety standards is impermissible.
Renee Stapleton, the administrator for Oregon OSHA, didn't mince words when commenting on the issue. She said, "Any job task where an employee is assigned to work at heights must be taken seriously by employers. Our fall protection standards are there to safeguard workers each step of the way, from supply and distribution to finishing the project," as stated by the Department of Consumer and Business Services, signaling that failure to comply with these critical safety measures is not to be tolerated. The sanction includes a standard reduction based on the company's size, even though penalties typically multiply with repeated infractions.
ABC Supply Co. Inc. may have chosen to appeal the citation, but the message from OSHA remains clear: the safety of workers is paramount, and neglecting it will incur significant consequences. More information on these resources can be found on OSHA's Fall Protection webpage.
