DME Construction Associates Inc.

Oyster Bay, NY 2021--2026 Construction Contractors

OSHA DOJ Osha Willful Fall Protection Osha Willful Egregious Per Instance Criminal Osha Violation

Penalty

$600,000

Deaths

Outcome

DME Construction Associates Inc. settled nine willful OSHA violations for $600,000 and the owner pleaded guilty to a criminal OSHA violation after an employee fell 18 feet through an unprotected skylight to his death during a roof replacement project at an Oyster Bay, New York municipal building in August 2021.

Details

DME Construction Associates Inc. — Fatal Skylight Fall, Willful Violations (2021–2026)

Outcome: The company settled nine willful OSHA violations for $600,000 after an employee fell 18 feet through an unguarded skylight and died; the owner later pleaded guilty to a criminal OSHA violation with sentencing set for April 2026.

In August 2021, a worker employed by DME Construction Associates Inc. was performing roof replacement work at an Oyster Bay municipal building on Long Island, New York, when he fell through an unprotected skylight. The fall was approximately 18 feet; the worker sustained fatal injuries. OSHA's investigation found that DME had exposed eight workers on that roof to falls of up to 22 feet at unguarded roof openings and roof edges, and had not provided any personal fall protection equipment to any of them.

OSHA issued nine willful violations — eight of them egregious per-instance citations, one for each of the eight workers exposed without fall protection. In January 2026, the company entered into a settlement agreement with the Department of Labor affirming all citations and a $600,000 penalty. As terms of settlement, the company was required to develop a comprehensive written safety plan, document that adequate fall protection equipment is available before each job, provide OSHA with weekly advance notification of upcoming projects, allow warrantless OSHA entry to worksites, and require 30-hour OSHA construction safety training for all supervisors.

The company owner pleaded guilty in November 2025 to a criminal violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act; sentencing was scheduled for April 2026.

Primary Source: New York roofing contractor enters into settlement agreement with US Department of Labor after willfully failing to protect worker in 2021 fatal fall

How Crucible Prevents This

A pre-work session gate requiring documented fall protection plans for any roofing or elevated work would have caught the absence of personal fall protection equipment for each worker before the crew accessed the roof. Crucible's compliance logging would have preserved the record of this gap, providing evidence for both OSHA enforcement and criminal proceedings.

Source: New York roofing contractor enters into settlement agreement with US Department of Labor after willfully failing to protect worker in 2021 fatal fall

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