On the Job With OSHA: A Continuous Game of Russian Roulette
GREENVILLE, IL — When you’ve been in the business of inspecting workplaces for as long as I have, a certain pattern starts to emerge. It’s not always a pattern of incompetence or neglect, but sometimes, it’s the darker thread of disregard.
There’s a contractor in Illinois, JZ Exteriors and Repairs LLC, helmed by a man named Juan Zuniga Ramos, that’s been caught in this familiar cycle.
Ramos’ men were spotted by eagle-eyed inspectors from the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration, toiling away on a commercial rooftop, 12 feet high. Not a safety harness in sight. It was April 18, 2023. But this was not the first time.
There’s a history here. In 2019 and then in 2022, Ramos’ team was found in similar compromising positions. Despite the penalties, the risks remain, as do the fines. Currently, JZ Exteriors owes OSHA a hefty sum of $31,163 in unpaid penalties.
This most recent investigation, however, did not just reveal a lack of fall protection but exposed a wider, systemic neglect. Training? Not on the agenda. A proper accident prevention program? Absent. A competent person to inspect worksites for hazards? Nonexistent.
It seems Ramos has an interesting approach to ladders as well, and the circuits in his work area carry more voltage than safety protocols. And let’s not forget the glaring absence of a fire extinguisher, in a business that involves flammable materials.
When an outfit has this kind of history, each violation becomes a bit more significant. Five repeat violations, four serious ones, and one other-than-serious violation have been slapped onto JZ Exteriors this time. The added cost of these oversights? A cool $66,711.
“A persistent pattern of violations like this,” as Aaron Priddy, the OSHA Area Director in Fairview Heights, Illinois put it, “suggests a willingness to put his employees in danger.”
Indeed, every time a worker steps onto one of Ramos’ roof sites, they’re playing a high-stakes game of chance. And in this game, falls aren’t just a possibility — they’re a leading cause of death in the construction industry.
So here we are again. JZ Exteriors has 15 business days from receiving the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
And as for you and me, we’re left with a reminder that there’s always more to do, more to inspect, more to enforce, when it comes to the health and safety of American workers.
This story isn’t just about one Illinois contractor. It’s a cautionary tale for us all — a tale about the cost of indifference, the price of neglect, and the very real risks that come when profit is prioritized over people.
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