Falls Remain Washington’s Leading Safety Violation for 20 Consecutive Years

For the 20th consecutive year, falls from heights have been identified as the most frequently cited serious workplace safety violation by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). This alarming trend highlights ongoing safety challenges in the construction industry.

In just the past four months, L&I has imposed a staggering $1.4 million in fines on five construction companies for breaching fall protection regulations. These penalties serve as a stark reminder of the critical importance of adhering to safety protocols.

The latest fine, amounting to $82,620, was issued on December 29, 2025, to Roof Doctor Inc. of Olympia. This citation included one willful serious violation, one repeat serious violation, and two serious violations. The infractions were related to roofers working on a two-story home without proper fall protection. Additionally, Roof Doctor faced a fine of $110,160 on December 18 for four repeat serious violations concerning workers lacking fall protection at a Tumwater strip mall. The company is currently appealing both cases.

Over the past two decades, Roof Doctor has reportedly filed 393 injury claims, resulting in over $4.9 million in medical care and wage replacement costs for the state workers’ compensation fund. This statistic underscores the financial and human toll of inadequate safety measures.

Asset Roofing Company LLC has also faced significant penalties, receiving four fines in September for failing to ensure that workers wore fall protection, improperly using ladders, and lacking adequate fall protection training across four different job sites. Reports indicated that some workers were using harnesses attached to ropes with improperly installed anchors, which would not withstand a fall. The total fines from these inspections reached nearly $720,000. Asset Roofing is appealing all four citations.

Several other companies have also been cited by L&I for fall protection violations in recent months:

• Valentine Roofing (Seattle): Fined $148,716 for two repeat serious violations on December 3. Inspectors observed at least one employee working near the roof’s edge with a rope long enough that a fall would result in hitting the ground. The company is appealing this citation and fine.
• DaBella (Vancouver): Cited on December 23 for a repeat willful serious violation and fined $134,640 for failing to protect subcontractor employees from fall hazards during a roofing project. The company has 15 business days to appeal this citation and fine.
• Modern S Construction LLC (Buckley): Fined $258,514 for two repeat willful serious fall protection violations and two repeat general violations on October 15. Notably, the company did not appeal this most recent citation and fine.

Topics
Washington

For the 20th consecutive year, falls from heights have been identified as the most frequently cited serious workplace safety violation by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). This alarming trend highlights ongoing safety challenges in the construction industry.

In just the past four months, L&I has imposed a staggering $1.4 million in fines on five construction companies for breaching fall protection regulations. These penalties serve as a stark reminder of the critical importance of adhering to safety protocols.

The latest fine, amounting to $82,620, was issued on December 29, 2025, to Roof Doctor Inc. of Olympia. This citation included one willful serious violation, one repeat serious violation, and two serious violations. The infractions were related to roofers working on a two-story home without proper fall protection. Additionally, Roof Doctor faced a fine of $110,160 on December 18 for four repeat serious violations concerning workers lacking fall protection at a Tumwater strip mall. The company is currently appealing both cases.

Over the past two decades, Roof Doctor has reportedly filed 393 injury claims, resulting in over $4.9 million in medical care and wage replacement costs for the state workers’ compensation fund. This statistic underscores the financial and human toll of inadequate safety measures.

Asset Roofing Company LLC has also faced significant penalties, receiving four fines in September for failing to ensure that workers wore fall protection, improperly using ladders, and lacking adequate fall protection training across four different job sites. Reports indicated that some workers were using harnesses attached to ropes with improperly installed anchors, which would not withstand a fall. The total fines from these inspections reached nearly $720,000. Asset Roofing is appealing all four citations.

Several other companies have also been cited by L&I for fall protection violations in recent months:

• Valentine Roofing (Seattle): Fined $148,716 for two repeat serious violations on December 3. Inspectors observed at least one employee working near the roof’s edge with a rope long enough that a fall would result in hitting the ground. The company is appealing this citation and fine.
• DaBella (Vancouver): Cited on December 23 for a repeat willful serious violation and fined $134,640 for failing to protect subcontractor employees from fall hazards during a roofing project. The company has 15 business days to appeal this citation and fine.
• Modern S Construction LLC (Buckley): Fined $258,514 for two repeat willful serious fall protection violations and two repeat general violations on October 15. Notably, the company did not appeal this most recent citation and fine.

Topics
Washington