Data last updated: August 31, 2026
Over the past 12 months, Alabama employers picked up 10 citations under OSHA’s ladder standard, 1926.1053, with an average penalty of $4,275 and a median of $2,270. Foley, on the Gulf Coast side of the state, had more of these citations than any other city. The numbers are small compared to a state like Texas or Florida, but for the ten businesses that got hit, the exposure was very real, and in two cases it was classified as a Repeat violation, which pushes penalties well past the average.
If you have received a citation like this, or you suspect one is coming, do not wait to figure out your options. Talking with an Alabama OSHA defense attorney early, before your response window closes, is the single most useful thing you can do right now.
What 1926.1053 Actually Requires on an Alabama Jobsite
The ladder standard covers more ground than most crews assume. It is not just about whether a ladder is present — it governs how the ladder is set up, whether it extends far enough past a landing surface for a worker to step off safely, how much weight it is rated to carry, and whether damaged or modified equipment has been pulled from service. It also addresses how ladders are supposed to be used in practice: proper footing, not standing on the top rungs, keeping three points of contact, and using the right ladder for the job rather than whatever is closest on the truck. You can read the full breakdown of the rule on the 1926.1053 standard hub, but the short version is that OSHA expects both the equipment and the way it is used to meet a specific bar, not just a general sense of caution.
Inspectors do not need a fall or an injury to write a citation. A ladder set up at the wrong angle, a broken rung nobody flagged, or a worker reaching too far to one side is enough on its own.
Roofers in Foley and Around the State Are the Ones Getting Cited
Of the 10 citations issued statewide, seven went to roofing contractors and three to framing contractors. That split is not surprising. Roofing work in Alabama routinely involves setting extension ladders against edges and eaves in conditions that change throughout the day — heat, wind, and a crew moving fast to finish before weather turns. Framing crews face a related but distinct risk, using ladders for repetitive access to upper floors and trusses, where a ladder that is not tied off or properly extended becomes a hazard after dozens of trips up and down.
If you run a roofing operation in Alabama, it is worth understanding exactly why roofing contractors draw more ladder scrutiny than almost any other trade, and what inspectors tend to look for first when they show up on a job.
From a $2,270 Serious Citation to a $10,215 Repeat Penalty
The breakdown of the 10 citations tells its own story: seven were classified Serious, two were Repeat, and one was Other-than-Serious. Serious citations assume a real possibility of injury and carry a meaningful baseline penalty. Repeat citations are a different category entirely — they apply when a company has been cited for a similar violation before, and OSHA responds by multiplying the penalty, sometimes several times over the base amount.
You can see that gap play out in the real record. Alder Rivera Enriquez in Trussville was cited $10,215 for a Repeat violation issued October 17, 2025. Bernardo Perez in Foley picked up a $6,809 Repeat citation issued April 2, 2026. On the other end, Wilmer Gonzalez in Silverhill was cited $2,270 for a Serious violation issued September 16, 2025 — exactly the state median. In between, Malone Roofing Services, LLC in Odenville was cited $9,268 for an Other-than-Serious violation issued December 17, 2025, and Panther Roofing, LLC in Foley was cited $2,837 for a Serious violation issued February 24, 2026. All five were issued under the same base subsection, 19261053 B01, which underscores how much the classification — Serious versus Repeat — drives the final number more than the underlying facts alone.
One more detail worth flagging: the average penalty reduction in Alabama over this period was 0%, meaning the initial penalty amounts largely held through to final disposition. That is different from what happens in many other states, where negotiation or a contest often brings the number down. For a fuller picture of how these amounts are calculated and where reductions typically come from, see this breakdown of OSHA ladder violation penalty amounts.
A 0% average reduction does not mean reductions are impossible — it may simply reflect that few of these citations were formally contested. That is a gap worth closing. Before you accept a citation at face value, it makes sense to have an Alabama OSHA defense attorney review the specifics and tell you whether the classification and penalty actually hold up.
You Have 15 Working Days — Not 15 Calendar Days
Once a citation arrives, the countdown starts immediately. OSHA gives employers 15 working days from the date of receipt to file a Notice of Contest. Miss that window and the citation becomes a final order automatically, with no further right to challenge the classification or the penalty amount, even if you have a legitimate argument that the ladder in question was compliant or that a prior violation was not actually similar enough to justify a Repeat classification.
Fifteen working days moves faster than it sounds once weekends and any holiday fall inside it. Employers routinely lose their contest rights simply because they spent that time gathering paperwork instead of filing. The process for contesting, what it requires, and what happens after you file is laid out in more detail on this guide to contesting an OSHA citation, but the practical takeaway is simple: act inside that window, not after it.
Given what a Repeat classification can do to a penalty — the difference between $2,270 and $10,215 in this state’s own record — it is worth having someone experienced look at your citation before that window closes. Reach out to an Alabama OSHA defense attorney as soon as you receive paperwork, not after you have already decided how to respond on your own.
If you have a citation in hand, check the issuance date against the 15-working-day clock today, pull together your ladder inspection records and any prior citation history, and get a qualified attorney looking at the specifics before you file anything with OSHA.