Washington Roofer Fined After Worker Dies in Fall Through Skylight

A Washington contractor was fined $48,803 after a roofer was killed when he fell through a skylight.

Leslie & Campbell Inc. of Union Gap was fined $48,803 after a roofer fell more than 25 feet through an unguarded skylight to the concrete floor of a fruit packing warehouse in Wapato, according to the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.

L&I cited the company after investigators found it had not guarded the skylight, identified skylights as a fall hazard or adequately trained workers on the danger.

The company is appealing the citation and fine.

L&I also issued penalties against other roofing companies and subcontractors in recent months:

• Roof Doctor Inc. of Olympia received the largest fine, $238,680, on June 30 for four willful serious and two serious fall protection violations. A portion of a roof collapsed beneath a worker in Tumwater, and inspectors determined his safety rope was too long to arrest his fall. The worker was hospitalized. Roof Doctor and its associated companies have been cited for more than 80 safety violations since 2004, including 34 for failing to ensure workers wore fall protection, according to L&I. The business is appealing the latest citation.
• Dabella/Reve Exteriors LLC of Marysville was fined $176,580 on Aug. 19 for two willful serious violations involving failure to protect subcontractor employees from falls and ensure they wore required protective equipment. Some violations repeated findings from earlier inspections, according to L&I. The company is appealing. Its subcontractor on the same job, Suruka House LLC, was fined $34,668 for repeatedly failing to ensure workers wore fall protection and other required protective equipment.
• Bartlett Homes & Roofing LLC of Veradale was fined $179,964 on June 3 for willful serious and repeat serious violations. Inspectors found two workers were not connected to a fall protection system, anchors were improperly installed and one worker’s fall restraint rope had enough slack that it would not have prevented him from hitting the ground. The company is appealing. Ivan’s Roofing Spokane LLC, a subcontractor on the same job, was fined $37,415 for workers not using fall protection, unsafe ladder use and failure to ensure first aid was available to injured workers.
• Money collected from fines goes into the workers’ compensation supplemental pension fund, which is earmarked to help injured workers and families of workers who died on the job.

Topics Washington