Print edition: 
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said today that it is proposing $116,000 in fines for a Wichita contractor, saying his workers were put at serious risk while installing a roof.
OSHA identified the roofing contractor as Gerardo Montes, who could not be reached for comment.
The agency is accusing Montes of violating agency safety standards by not ensuring that employees are protected from risk of falling by having proper equipment, such as guardrails or safety nets. It also accuses the contractor of failing to instruct workers to eliminate hazards.
Workers also were endangered because they were using ladders with side rails that didn't extend 3 feet above the landing surface, the citations say.
The violations were seen on Sept. 21, 2010, at a home in the 2300 block of South Mosley, the citations say. It is a small, one-story house.
"There is no excuse for employees to be exposed to fall hazards such as these. Employees working at heights must be protected," Charles Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo., said in a statement.
"It is imperative that employers take the necessary steps to eliminate hazards and provide safe working environments for all of their employees," he said.
Some of the violations involved the employer showing "either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health," OSHA said.
The contractor can request a settlement conference or contest the claims.
OSHA said people can report workplace fatalities or safety concerns by calling the agency's toll-free hotline: 800-321-OSHA (6742).
