A Washington roofer who has already been cited by the state’s Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has been charged again for serious violations, several of them willful. The Roof Doctor Inc. of Olympia, WA allegedly knew that their workers faced serious hazards and did nothing to correct the problems. They have been placed on the department’s severe violator list.

They were cited for six willful violations, one violation for each of the six workers who were exposed to fall hazards working on a roof that was 23 feet high last year. Each violation carries a fine of $70,000 and the company is also facing a $7,000 fine for failing to train their workers in how to use fall protection, a serious violation. They also received a citation for failing to provide their workers with fall protection equipment, if the company’s workers wanted safety gear they had to buy their own equipment.

The company was cited in 2014 for the same willful violations, which they are appealing. They have been cited by L&I eight times since 2012. They are a very large company, and have over a hundred employees.

The assistant director for L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Anne Soiza, said that the department hopes these penalties press the company to start using fall protection for their workers.

“Falls from heights are completely preventable, and yet they’re a leading cause of worker fatalities and hospitalizations in our state,” she said.