The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) opened an inspection of Allways Roofing last April after a referral to L&I reported roofers working on a two-story house without connected safety harnesses or eye protection in the Mount Vernon neighborhood.

Inspectors photographed two workers, including the job-site lead, wearing safety harnesses that were not hooked to an anchor point to prevent them from falling off the roof. Falling from heights is one of the leading causes of workplace deaths and serious injuries. Allways Roofing has had at least seven serious injuries, including five falls from heights and two eye injuries from nail guns.

Allways Roofing is one of the most frequent violators of safety rules in the state, with dozens of violations going back more than 10 years. Total fines against the company amount to more than $3.7 million since 2019. So far, the company has paid L&I just under $250,000.

The company also owes $22,426.39 in past due workers’ compensation premiums. Its contractor registration is suspended until those premiums are paid.

At ProtectMyHome.net, consumers looking for roofing or any other type of construction work can easily review the safety record of any potential contractors, as well as checking their registration, licensing, insurance, and other information.

The latest inspection resulted in $433,718.00 in fines including four egregious, willful, repeat violations of fall protection rules, the most severe penalty imposed by the state.

“The requirements are clear. If Allways Roofing is getting cited this often, it means they’re purposefully ignoring the rules to save time and make money,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

“We won’t give up on our efforts to protect these workers no matter how many times we have to inspect, cite, and fine this company,” he said.

Allways Roofing has been, and will remain in the Severe Violator Program and is subject to greater scrutiny by the state. It is not appealing the latest fines.

Preventing falls in construction
Information and training are key to preventing falls. L&I has a digital fall protection tool to help employers and workers learn fall protection rules and other ways to stay safe on the job. If you see roofers working without fall protection, you can report it anonymously online or call L&I at 1-800-423-SAFE (7233).