IRVINGTON, NJ – Federal workplace safety inspectors have cited an Irvington contractor who exposed employees to potentially deadly falls by allowing them to do roofing work atop a two-story home in Bergen County without required fall protection in March 2023.
U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspectors opened an investigation after observing employees of JM Brother Construction LLC working at heights up to 23 feet with no adequate fall protection system in place in Hasbrouck Heights. In addition to the fall hazards, OSHA determined the company exposed workers to struck-by hazards by allowing them to ride without seat belts in an area of the company’s cargo vans not intended for passengers. The company also failed to protect employees from head impact injuries and allowed employees to use a ladder unsafely.
The agency cited the contractor for one willful and three serious violations and assessed $77,684 in proposed penalties.
“Our investigation found JM Brother Construction jeopardizing the safety of its workers by failing to provide required life-saving fall protection,” said OSHA Area Director Lisa Levy in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. “Falls remain the leading cause of workplace fatalities in the construction industry, making it imperative that employers comply with federal safety laws before a worker suffers potentially debilitating injuries or worse.”
JM Brother Construction LLC is a general residential construction company that provides siding, roofing, chimney, gutter and masonry services.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and 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.
OSHA’s website includes information on developing a workplace safety and health program that applies to all workplaces. OSHA also offers free work-specific tools. Employers can contact the agency for information about OSHA’s compliance assistance resources and for free help on complying with OSHA standards.
