07-04-2025
Missouri contractor to pay nearly $300,000 after teen worker's deadly fall in 2023
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The U.S. Department of Labor reached an agreement with Jamesport roofing contractor John Troyer after an investigation determined he violated federal laws – resulting in a teen worker's death in 2023.
On March 27, 2023, investigators said the 18-year-old, while working for Troyer Roofing & Coatings, was applying sealant to a building when he fell more than 22 feet—going into a coma for five days before he died.
OSHA: Missouri contractor didn't require safety gear, leading to worker's death
The department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that Troyer – the owner of Troyer Construction LLP, which operates as Troyer Roofing & Coatings – failed to provide workers with required fall protection.
In addition, the agency said after the teen's fall, Troyer allowed a foreman and another worker to keep working without fall protection.
OSHA said the Daviess County-based company had the safety equipment available but let workers decide if they wanted to use it. OSHA investigators also said the contractor didn't train employees on how to use it.
'Troyer Roofing & Coatings could have prevented this young worker's death by requiring their employees to use fall protection equipment,' OSHA Area Director Karena Lorek said in a statement in 2023.
A separate investigation by the department's Wage and Hour Division found he violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by employing minors illegally in roofing work from May 2022 to June 2023.
Under the agreement, Troyer must pay $290,000, which includes $156,259 in OSHA penalties, $15,000 in child labor penalties and $118,741 in criminal fines to the U.S. Department of Justice. The company will also have to enroll in .
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