The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has opened an investigation with JTR Construction of Festus following the Nov. 5 death a 36-year-old roofer who was working for the company.
Nathan Scott Hemmen of De Soto died following an Oct. 21 fall on a new home construction site in the River Hills subdivision south of Festus
According to OSHA, Hemmen was installing roof trusses when he fell approximately 10 feet onto a concrete floor.
Family members reported Hemmen’s worksite injury to OSHA, according to the agency.
“Employers are required by law to report workplace hospitalizations to OSHA within 24 hours and fatalities within eight hours. It is unacceptable that JTR Construction failed to report the injury, hospitalization and death of a worker to OSHA,” Bill McDonald, OSHA’s area director in St. Louis, said in a news release.
“OSHA will investigate working conditions on the site to ensure that all proper safety protocols, such as the use of adequate fall protection, were in place at the time of the injury,” he said.
A message left Wednesday with JTR Construction asking for comment wasn’t immediately returned.
According to OSHA, falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, and lack of proper fall protection remains the most frequently cited OSHA violation. Workers who are six feet or more above lower levels are at risk of serious injury or death if they should fall. Employers are required to provide fall protection.
For information, call OSHA at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the St. Louis Office at 314-425-4249.