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A Carter Construction Co. Inc. facility in Loveland, Ohio is facing federal fines for violating safety regulations, according to Envioromental-Expert.com. Officials from the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspected the facility in June under its National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation.
OSHA officials arrived unannounced at a site where Carter was installing a storm sewer pipe in a 20-foot-deep trench. Officials determined that employees were exposed to excavation risks. Two of the citations were considered willful violations—one for equipment being too close to trenches, another for failure to provide an entry into as well as an exit from a trench. Proposed fines total $68,500.
“Carter Construction has a responsibility to ensure that workers are properly protected from known workplace hazards such as trench cave-ins, a leading cause of death and injury in excavation work,” said Bill Wilkerson, regional OSHA director in Cincinnati. “OSHA is committed to protecting workers, especially when employers fail to do so.”
These are very serious violations. Workers are especially vulnerable when working in trenches. These hazardous working conditions are unacceptable. You do not have to risk your life to earn a living—please contact our firm for a free consultation.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus Workers Comp Attorneys