🗞️ Florida Roofing Firm Faces $349,754 in Fines Over Repeated Fall Hazards
Federal regulators cited Orchids Builders LLC, a Florida roofing firm, for willfully exposing workers to falls at two Rockledge job sites, proposing nearly $350,000 in penalties after its seventh inspection since 2023.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Orchids Builders LLC, a residential roofing contractor based in Florida, after inspections found workers exposed to falls of as much as 10 feet without protective equipment. Investigators documented two incidents at separate worksites in Rockledge, Florida: one in January 2026, during installation of roof sheathing on a sloped surface, and another in March 2026, during installation of metal hurricane clips. In both cases, according to OSHA, the company failed to provide required fall protection.
Investigators also found that the company had not maintained written certificates documenting employee fall protection training, did not supply eye protection to workers operating nail guns, and permitted the use of ladders whose side rails did not extend the required 36 inches above the roof landing. OSHA classified two of the violations as willful and four as repeat offenses, a designation applied when an employer has previously been cited for the same or a similar violation. The agency said Orchids Builders has been inspected seven times since 2023 and that fall protection deficiencies were identified in each inspection.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Falls remain the leading cause of death in the construction industry nationally, and fall protection has ranked as OSHA's most frequently cited standard for well over a decade, according to agency data, underscoring how common the hazard remains across the industry.
Key Points
- OSHA cited Orchids Builders LLC for two willful and four repeat violations tied to fall protection failures at two worksites in Rockledge, Florida.
- Workers were exposed to a fall hazard of 10 feet in January 2026 and a fall hazard of 9 feet in March 2026.
- Additional findings included missing fall protection training certificates, no eye protection during nail gun use, and ladders that did not meet required height standards.
- Proposed penalties total $349,754.
- The company has been inspected seven times since 2023, with fall protection violations found in each inspection.
- The employer has 15 business days to comply, request a conference, or contest the citations.
- Falls are the leading cause of construction worker deaths nationwide, and fall protection is OSHA's most cited violation category.
Primary Source Author: U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Media Contact: Erika Ruthman)
Primary Source: Federal investigators cite Florida roofing contractor for willfully, repeatedly ignoring fall protection standards, propose $349K in fines
Primary Source Link: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20260723
