Worker hospitalized after fall at Penn State, Labor Department launches investigation
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A Mid-State Roofing worker fell during roof work at Penn State's Thompson Hall.
- OSHA opened an investigation; the company had past citations for safety lapses.
- The $3.9M roofing project covers Thompson Hall’s 34,800-square-foot roof.
An employee working on a Penn State roofing project was hospitalized Tuesday after a fall and federal workplace safety regulators have since launched an investigation.
A Mid-State Roofing and Coating Inc. employee was injured Tuesday morning while conducting roof work on Thompson Hall, university and Labor Department spokespeople told the Centre Daily Times.
The worker was flown to a regional hospital for treatment, the university spokesman said. Penn State did not share additional information about the employee, their condition or how far they fell.
The university declined further comment “Out of respect for the employee, their family, and their employer.”
The Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is among the agencies investigating. It has up to six months to complete its probe.
The Mifflin County-based employer was issued two citations in July 2022 after OSHA found the business violated safety standards. One citation said the employer did not verify fall protection training by preparing a written certification record. The other found stairways or ladders were not provided at appropriate access points.
The company was handed a $519 penalty.
Penn State is replacing Thompson Hall’s 34,800-square-foot slate roof system. Mid-State’s bid for the project was nearly $3.9 million.
