Medford Contractor Faces OSHA Fines

A Medford-based roofing company has been cited by safety investigators for exposing employees to dangerous fall hazards, according to the Department of Labor.

 Joe Squillante Contracting and Roofing Inc. faces $45,000 in fines for exposing employees to fall hazards at a residential Newport, Rhode Island, according to a press release from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Employees worked at the site without fall protection on a building’s roof and on a ladder jack scaffold, according to the press release.  They were allegedly exposed to falls of over 20 feet.

OSHA also found the scaffold’s work was higher than the maximum allowed height of 20 feet, and the scaffold did not have a ladder, according to the statement. Employees also did not have helmets.

The company had previously been cited for similar work hazards at a Winchester worksite in 2009, according to OSHA.

Joe Squillante Contracting and Roofing has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, according to the press release.