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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is asking a roofing contractor in Maine to impose a fine of nearly $1.8 million after a worker fatally falls. The agency quoted Shawn D. Purvis, owner of Purvis Home Improvement Co., Inc., as saying that he committed 17 shocking intentional, repetitive and serious workplace safety violations.

The grand jury in Portland, Maine also sued Purvis for workplace manslaughter.

On December 13, 2018, a worker at the Purvis Portland site was climbing from the roof to the scaffolding of the ladder jack, lost a foothold on the roof and fell down​​. He was injured when he fell and died. The worker did not wear any personal fall arrest system.

Since September 2006, Purvis has been cited many times for violating fall protection standards.

"Continued refusal to comply with the law exposes other employees to potentially fatal or disabling injuries," said David McGwan, regional director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Augusta, Maine, in an agency statement. "Employers cannot shirk their responsibility to ensure a safe and healthy workplace."

After the fatal fall, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated and proposed a fine of $1,116,476 for intentional, repeated and serious violations of the Portland plant. A few days later, OSHA inspected another Purvis site in Old Orchard Beach, Maine, and proposed a fine of $676,250 for deliberate and serious violations of the second site.

OSHA cited 13 intentional violations of fall protection standards by Purvis, one of which was in each exposed employee in two workplaces.

A fatal fall that occurred at the Portland site resulted in a subpoena for deliberate violation of fall protection requirements that require the use of guardrails or safety net systems or personal fall protection systems in residential construction activities that are 6 feet below the lower level or higher Every employee. Similar violations occurred on other Maine sites in Scarborough in 2013 and 2018, Pine Point in 2015, Westbrook in 2012, and South Portland in 2006.

OSHA also cited seven other intentional violations by Purvis for failing to protect other employees at the Portland plant. Purvis was summoned for five other deliberate violations of fall protection standards at the old orchard site.

In addition to deliberate violations, the agency also cited Purvis for violations of Portland and Old Orchard grounds' construction industry standards, including:

Manslaughter in the workplace is a Class A felony in Maine that involves deliberate violation of state or federal workplace safety standards, resulting in the death of an employee or worker (such as an independent contractor) under the direct control of the employer. If Purvis is convicted of workplace manslaughter, he could face 30 years in prison and a fine of $50,000.

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