Wolcott roofer fined $77,000 for falls hazard

The federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration has handed a Wolcott roofing contractor $77,000 in penalties for allegedly failing to provide fall protection for workers at a West Hartford work site last spring.

Atlas Restoration LLC allegedly exposed employees to falls of 21 feet while they worked on a roof at 1470 Asylum Ave. on June 5.

OSHA said one of its Hartford inspectors saw the alleged violation. OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection be in place and in use whenever employees work at heights of six feet or more.

This isn't the first time that Atlas Restoration has run afoul of OSHA, the agency said.

OSHA issued Atlas Restoration two repeat citations, with $49,000 in proposed penalties, for the lack of fall protection, improperly erected scaffolding, and failing to train employees in fall and ladder hazards.

OSHA said the company was cited in 2006 and 2007 for fall hazards at jobsites in New Milford, Danbury and Hamden, and in 2007 for scaffolding hazards at a Hamden worksite.

As a result of this latest inspection, OSHA also issued Atlas four serious citations, with $28,000 in penalties, for an improperly installed and anchored fall protection system, improperly secured roof bracket anchors, scaffold platforms that did not safely overlap and allowing an employee to  

Atlas has 15 business days to accept or contest the penalties.

A telephone listing or Web address for Atlas Restoration could not be located.