$274K OSHA fine for trench collapse death, part of disturbing trend
A worker who was killed while helping to install a sewer line had escaped trench collapses twice within a month of his death.
Trenching
1 killed, 1 injured in trench collapse; $160K OSHA fine
A contracting company faces $159,600 in OSHA fines following the death of one employee and the hospitalization of another.
A fatal March in Nebraska: OSHA says 4 dead in 13 days
It was a rough March for employers in Nebraska. OSHA received reports of four worker fatalities starting on March 9th, and it’s urging state employers to beef up safety programs.
Attorney: Why companies should fight more OSHA citations
Recently, we wrote that an Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission ruling could make it more difficult for OSHA to get willful citations to stick. Now, a lawyer specializing in OSHA citation appeals has expressed the same opinion, and we have anecdotal evidence that this is already happening.
Business owner taken into custody for not paying OSHA fines
What happens when a company doesn’t correct workplace hazards and fails to pay OSHA fines? The owner of a contracting company in Illinois now knows the answer to that question.
Cemetery worker crushed to death by tombstone
Any heavy, movable object can be a crushed-by hazard to workers, as this bizarre case involving a Texas cemetery shows.
Company cited 8 times in 12 years: $354K fine
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.
Contractor fined $91K for deadly trench collapse
A Mason, OH, excavation contractor is facing a $91,000 fine for a trench collapse that killed a 26-year-old employee last year.
Contractor ignores OSHA, continues work despite hazard: $275K fine
After being told by an investigator to protect workers against trench cave-in hazards, this contractor returned to work the next day and exposed the same crew to the same risk.
Contractor sentenced to 2 years in prison for fatal trench collapse
The contractor convicted on two counts of manslaughter for his involvement in a fatal Boston trench collapse has been sentenced to two years in prison.
Court says company’s safety policy not enforced, willful violation stands
You’ve probably heard this many times: It’s not enough to have a safety policy – you have to enforce it. Now, a federal appeals court has acknowledged that in a recent ruling.
Employee dies in trench collapse attempting to rescue co-worker
A fatal trench collapse involving a worker killed attempting to save a co-worker serves as a tragic reminder that rescue attempts should only be made when it’s safe to do so and only by trained individuals. Responding to the incident without first checking to see if the scene was safe cost one worker his life […]
Employer claiming misconduct must pay fine
A U.S. appeals court upheld a citation and $35,000 fine against a construction contractor that argued a supervisor who decided not to use a trench box in an excavation was guilty of unforeseeable employee misconduct. The appeals court found that “imputing the supervisor’s knowledge of the safety violation to the employer is appropriate in this situation […]
Fatality: Worker buried up to his head in trench collapse
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.
Fear of firing to blame for repeat violations?
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Fungal infection due to trenching on the job or hay on employee’s hobby farm?
An employee contracted a fungal infection in his lungs while digging a trench, but his employer claimed he got the infection while bailing hay on his hobby farm. Was the employee able to get benefits?
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