A carpenter was buried up to the top of his head in the collapse of a 12-foot ditch. The situation was so dangerous that rescuers couldn’t remove his body until two days later.

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Tags: CAL-OSHA, criminal charges, housing construction, trench collapse

A contractor with a history of violating workplace safety standards faces a total of $354,000 in new fines from OSHA in connection with trenching hazards at two work sites.

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Tags: contractor, ladder, repeat violation, Severe Violator Enforcement Program, shoring, trench collapse, trenching hazards, willful violation

A contracting company faces $159,600 in OSHA fines following the death of one employee and the hospitalization of another.

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Tags: excavation, personal protective equipment, trench collapse

Two recent incidents show how unprotected trenches can be deadly, even if an employee isn’t completely buried by soil after a collapse.

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Tags: internal injuries, rescue workers, trench collapse, trenching

Workers’ comp is usually the “exclusive remedy” when an employee is injured on the job, meaning the worker can’t sue the company. But when OSHA issues a willful citation, does that open the door for a successful lawsuit?

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Tags: exclusive remedy, shoring, trench collapse, willful citation, Workers' comp