A Lake Zurich, Ill., roofing contractor faces $262,631 in new fines after federal safety inspectors found workers exposed to fall hazards during four separate inspections in 2024. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Fino Exterior Inc. for 13 safety violations, continuing a pattern of noncompliance that has resulted in eight citations since 2020.
OSHA inspectors observed Fino Exterior employees working on residential rooftops without legally required fall protection equipment at sites in Palatine, Orland Park, Palos Heights, and Shorewood. The inspections, conducted between February and October, highlight what OSHA officials describe as a persistent disregard for safety regulations.
“Fino Exterior’s blatant disregard for its employees’ safety is a callous invitation to tragedy,” said OSHA Chicago South Area Director James Martineck, based in Tinley Park, Illinois.
The company’s violations extend beyond fall protection. OSHA cited Fino Exterior for failing to provide hard hats, eye protection for workers using pneumatic nail guns, and proper ladder safety measures. Inspectors also found that workers were exposed to energized power lines and lacked adequate training in fall hazard prevention.
“A worker can lose their footing and fall off a roof in seconds,” Martineck said. “Falls from elevation can cause life-altering and deadly injuries, all of which can be prevented by using required protective equipment and training workers in its use.”
The company’s infractions are not new. Since 2020, OSHA has cited Fino Exterior six times for similar violations and twice more under its previous operating name, Arellano Roofing Corp. Fino Exterior has also failed to pay $65,115 in existing penalties.
Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, accounting for 395 of the 1,069 construction worker fatalities reported in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls resulted in approximately 20,000 worker injuries annually between 2013 and 2022.
Fino Exterior has 15 business days to comply with the citations, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.