Roofing Contractor Cited For 8th Time Over Deadly 'Fall Hazards'

LAKE ZURICH, IL — For the eighth time since 2020, federal workplace safety inspectors have cited a Lake Zurich roofing contractor for exposing workers to falls from rooftops, according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials.

Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed employees of Fino Exterior Inc. working on the roofs of residential structures without legally required fall protection equipment on four occasions in 2024. Those work site violations occurred in Palatine on Feb. 6, Orland Park on June 12, Palos Heights on Aug. 16 and Shorewood on Oct. 16, according to a news release from the OHSA.

Falls from an elevation is the leading cause of fatal and serious injuries among people employed in the construction industry, OHSA officials.

Fino Exterior has been cited by the OHSA for 13 safety violations during three inspections in four months. The company could face proposed $262,631 in penalties due to the falls.

"Fino Exterior's blatant disregard for its employees' safety is a callous invitation to tragedy," said James Martineck, a Chicago-area OSHA director. "All too often, our inspectors find construction contractors violating regulations repeatedly in their misguided belief that their workers will not fall victim to serious injuries or worse."

In addition to a lack of fall protection, OSHA cited Fino Exterior for the following violations:

• Permitting employees to work near energized power lines.
• Not providing employees with required hard hats.
• Failing to train workers in fall protection hazards and prevention.
• Lack of eye protection for workers operating pneumatic nail guns.
• Improper use of ladders.

"A worker can lose their footing and fall off a roof in seconds," Martineck said. "Falls from elevation can cause life-altering and deadly injuries all of which can be prevented by using required protective equipment and training workers in its use. Employers who ignore their obligations are putting their workers' lives and well-being in serious risk."

The 2024 infractions continue a series of similar citations issued after six inspections since 2020 and two others issued under a previous operating name, Arellano Roofing Corp. Fino Exteriors Inc. is currently liable for $65,115 in unpaid OSHA penalties.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 1,069 construction workers died on the job in 2022 and 395 of those deaths were fall-related. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that falls caused about 20,000 worker injuries annually between 2013 and 2022, according to the OSHA.