South Florida roofing firm cited for safety violations

Marcia Heroux Pounds, Sun Sentinel

8:00 a.m. EDT, May 4, 2012

South Florida roofing company White Star Roofing Inc. has been cited by federal safety agency OSHA for eight safety violations.

OSHA initiated an inspection after a compliance officer noticed potential violations at a work site at 201 Seven Isles Drive in Fort Lauderdale , where the companys workers were putting a new roof on a building. Proposed penalties total $62,400.

In one instance, the company was cited for allowing workers to operate on a steep roof without a harness to prevent a fall.

White Star Roofing, which could not be reached for comment late Thursday, also was cited for seven safety violations that involve failing to train workers on fall-prevention awareness and on using harnesses, or providing other personal protective equipment such as gloves and eyewear on hot asphalt.

Falls are a leading cause of workplace fatalities, and workers deserve a hazard-free environment, said Darlene Fossum, director of OSHA's Fort Lauderdale-area office.

White Star Roofing has 15 business days to respond to or contest the citations.

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South Florida roofing firm cited for safety violations