OSHA has cited Martha M. Alvarez, a residential roofing contractor based in Houston, with six safety violations for failing to provide fall protection at three Wisconsin job sites. OSHA's inspections were conducted at two sites in Cambridge and one in Janesville under a local emphasis program for fall protection. Proposed fines total $102,300.

"Falls are the leading cause of death and injury in the construction industry. Employers such as Martha M. Alvarez have a responsibility to ensure that workers are provided with and trained in the use of required fall protection," said Kim Stille, director of OSHA's Madison Area Office. "OSHA is committed to protecting workers, especially when employers fail to do so."

Three willful violations are for failing to provide fall protection on commercial and/or residential roofs at the three inspected sites. Each violation carries a proposed penalty of $30,800.

Three serious violations, one for each job site, are for failing to implement a safety and health program. Each violation carries a proposed penalty of $3,300.

OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection, such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems, be in use when workers perform residential construction activities 6 feet or more above the next lower level.

Martha M. Alvarez has been inspected six times by OSHA since November 2010, resulting in citations for 13 violations.