ALJ Home Improvement, a Nanuet, Rockland County roofing company operating in New York and New Jersey, has agreed to pay a $687,536 fine after an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation revealed serious safety violations at a Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey, construction site. This decision came on March 1, 2024, when the company chose to withdraw its contest against the charges, avoiding a scheduled trial.
The OSHA inspection, initiated in August 2022, found employees working without adequate fall protection and identified multiple safety hazards, including unsafe ladder use and lack of head protection. These findings led to citations for three egregious willful fall protection violations, a willful unsafe ladder violation, and four serious violations.
The case gained momentum following a tragic incident in 2019, where a roofer died after falling 35 feet at a construction site, highlighting the critical need for safety measures in the industry. Jeffrey S. Rogoff, Regional Solicitor in New York, emphasized the importance of holding employers accountable for such neglect.