ROCKLAND (VINnews) — A 40-year-old Rockland roofing company owner was charged Tuesday with violating federal safety regulations.
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Jose Lema, owner of ALJ Home Improvement, allegedly has a history of safety violations, as well as two employee deaths on his record. One of those tragic deaths took place at a construction site in New Square.
According to LOHUD, Lema was arrested Tuesday morning on a charge of violating Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) residential construction fall protection standards.
The count carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.
Lema has allegedly been cited by OSHA multiple times for violating safety regulations for workers.
“As alleged, Lema endangered the safety of his workers by disregarding regulations and failing to ensure his employees used fall protection systems,” U.S. Attorney Damon Williams said. “This conduct led to the death of a roof worker on a construction site.”
Williams said the “charge should serve as a reminder to small businesses that failure to comply with safety regulations can lead to unnecessary and preventable tragedy.”
In Feb. 2022, an employee tragically fell off a roof of a building under construction in the Ramapo village of New Square.
On Feb. 27, 2019, an ALJ employee slipped off the roof of a newly constructed three-story home in Kiamesha Lake, and fell 35 feet to the ground, the complaint said. He died from his injuries. OSHA determined the man had not been wearing a safety harness and issued multiple citations to ALJ. ALJ settled and agreed to pay a penalty.
There were five more incidents on five different worksites between 2019 and 2022 in which ALJ employees were exposed to fall hazards, the complaint stated.
i am sure shapiro and nyt are already on the case and will blame this on lack of education in Chasidic schools, trump, russian propaganda, global warming, white supremacy, systematic racism, israeli judicial reform, settler violence, and lack of proper covid protocols
He must tried to the fullest extent of the law as well as whoever it is, is the REAL boss behind him. We cannot allow workers rights to collapse in this country because senile Joe is flooding the country with illegals.
New square is a paradise on earth.
Construction is a dangerous job that’s way many safety protocols were put into place and mandated by osha The fact that none were being observed here it was an accident in the happening
In 40 years as a construct manager in mainline projects B”H have not had any serious accidents.