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OSHA issues citations for fall involving worker who suffered broken neck

Another New Jersey roofing company has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for violations involving fall hazards, including one incident where a roofer fell and suffered a broken neck in October 2012. The Ridgefield, New Jersey based roofing company was charged with six violations at a job site in Moonachie.

The fines of for the violations were $57,300. According to an OSHA news release, the company was cited for four serious violations, which are issued when there is hazard that the employer should be aware of and it presents workers with a “substantial probability that death or serious physical harm” could occur. These types of injuries often result in a workers’ compensation claim.

The serious violations included lack of fall protection and training for the roofers, lack of an available fire extinguisher and a failure to protect workers from holes in roof. The last violation appears to have been the cause of the fall that left the roofer with a broken neck.

The repeat violations involved a lack of ladder training and failure to have a ladder extend the necessary 3-feet about the landing surface to ensure workers safety. As the name implies, the company had been previously cited for this same violation in 2011.

Falls present great risks to workers. And the physics of a fall explain why. During a 2-second fall, a worker accelerates to 64.4 feet/sec, or 43.6 mph. OSHA has an active campaign to raise awareness of fall danger and prevent worker injuries. If you have suffered an injury from a fall, contact a workers’ compensation attorney for assistance in submitting your claim.

Source: WorkersCompensation.com, “NJ Roofer Suffers Broken Neck in Fall,” March 20, 2013