Contractor & Owner/Supervisor Fined $100,000 for Roofer’s Injuries

While moving a bucket of tar at a roofing project, a roofer accidentally stepped off the roof and fell to the ground. The bucket of tar overturned, spilling hot tar on him. He broke multiple bones and suffered third degree burns. The MOL found that there was no fall protection at the project and workers hadn’t been trained in fall protection. In addition, the injured worker wasn’t wearing appropriate clothing for work with hot tar. The contractor pleaded guilty to fall protection violations and failing to ensure workers wore appropriate PPE for work with hot tar. The contractor’s owner—and supervisor at the time of the incident—pleaded guilty to failing to ensure workers were adequately protected by a guardrail system. The court fined the contractor $90,000 and the owner/supervisor $10,000 [King Roofing & Aluminum Contractors Inc. and Joe Scarna, Govt. News Release, July 18, 2012].