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Underground Utilities, an Ohio excavation contractor, is facing Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines totaling $251,517 for violations at three trenching worksites following the death of a 33-year-old worker in Columbus, the agency announced January 17. The worker was pinned between the “spreader” bars of a trench box and the wall of a 7-foot-deep […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it will host the Colorado Trench Safety Summit October 5 in Brighton, Colorado, with the North American Excavation Shoring Association (NAXSA) in a joint effort to stem a rise in the number of trenching fatalities in the state. Since early 2021, 7 trenching-related fatalities have been reported […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will co-host an excavation and trenching safety training event September 16 in Southlake, Texas, with the North Texas National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA North Texas). In July, OSHA announced plans for 1,000 site inspections to address a rise in trenching and excavation fatalities. In the first six months […]
A Blue Springs, Missouri, contractor is facing $796,817 in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines for trenching and other safety violations. The agency cited Arrow Plumbing and owner Rick Smith for four willful violations, one repeat violation, and seven serious violations of federal safety standards. The Missouri contractor exposed two workers to the life-threatening […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited a Wayland, Massachusetts, contractor and his processor and successor companies with 28 willful, repeat, serious, and other-than-serious safety and health violations following two trenching fatalities. The agency seeks a total of $1,350,884 in penalties. Atlantic Coast Utilities LLC/Advanced Utilities Inc.; its predecessor company Shannon Construction Corp.; their […]
On February 12, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited an Oak Grove, Missouri, plumbing contractor for two repeated and two serious violations of the agency’s trenching standards. The agency proposed penalties totaling $299,590 for Arrow Plumbing LLC.
Employers should be extra vigilant in controlling the workplace safety and health hazards that peak during the summer months, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Region 7 office in Kansas City, Missouri, urged.
Protecting workers from the hazards of trenches has lately been front and center in OSHA’s outreach to employers. One critical step in ensuring that you are meeting your obligations to protect employees who dig and work in trenches is to have a solid knowledge of how to classify soils. The Agency has produced an 11-minute […]
In response to a spike in worker fatalities and injuries, OSHA has updated its National Emphasis Program (NEP) on Trenching and Excavation. The updated NEP supersedes a special emphasis instruction on trenching and excavation OSHA issued in 1985 (CPL 02-00-069). NEPs are mainly directed at states with approved state plans and OSHA regional and area […]
In a recent news release, OSHA announced the development of a series of compliance assistance resources to help keep workers safe from trenching and excavation hazards. OSHA’s goal is to increase awareness of trenching hazards in construction, educate job creators and workers on safe cave-in prevention solutions, and decrease the number of trench collapses. These […]