NJ roofing company admits fault leading to employee’s death

🔴Old Bridge construction company admits it violated OSHA standards

🔴Those violations led to the death of an employee replacing a roof

🔴It's not the first time the company has been cited by OSHA

OLD BRIDGE — A construction company in this Middlesex County township has admitted to violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, leading to the death of an employee, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Zona Roofing, via its owner Yilbert Segura, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in Newark federal court to information charging it with one count of willfully violating OSHA standards by failing to provide fall protection and fall protection training to employees who were involved in the replacement of a residential roof.

On August 6, 2019, Segura and four employees began a roof replacement project on a home in Haledon. Despite working more than 20 feet from the ground, employees for Zona Roofing were not equipped with personal fall protection equipment, such as safety harnesses, lanyards, tie-off ropes, guard rails, or safety nets.

None of the employees had received fall protection training to recognize the hazards of falling.

Two days later, while working on the roof, one of Zona Roofing’s employees lost his balance and fell about 22 feet to the ground to his death, after sustaining blunt force injuries to his head. He was not equipped with any fall protection gear, and had not received any fall protection training prior to the deadly fall.

Zona Roofing was previously cited by Maryland OSHA in February 2019 for failing to provide fall protection to its employees, as well.

If the court accepts the terms of a plea deal, Zona Roofing will be sentenced to five years of probation and will pay restitution of $75,000 to the employee’s family.

Zona Roofing must also follow specified conditions, including providing training procedures to all its employees and a requirement to follow enhanced safety provisions for future construction jobs.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 25, 2024.

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