NANUET – ALJ Home Improvement of Nanuet has an extensive history of fall hazard violations which resulted in officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHA) fining the company $687,536 in 2022 for violations at a New Jersey worksite. One week before a scheduled trial litigated by the department’s Office of the Solicitor in New York, the company has withdrawn its contest of the charges.
In 2022, an OSHA compliance officer observed multiple ALJ Home Improvement employees working on a steep-slope roof without fall protection. OSHA found violations related to fall protection deficiencies, unsafe ladder use, additional ladder-related hazards, and lack of head protection.
The inspection came less than six months after an ALJ employee suffered a fatal workplace fall in Spring Valley. The incident led company founder and principal Jose Lema to plead guilty in February 2024 to criminal charges filed by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York in July 2023. Sentencing is scheduled to take place in May.
“By affirming our investigative findings and upholding ALJ Home Improvement’s penalties, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission has sent a clear message to employers whose egregious actions show continuous disregard for worker safety,” said OSHA Area Director Lisa Levy in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ. “The message is simple: we will hold you accountable for deliberately putting workers at risk.”
