Is OSHA Cracking Down on Trenching and Excavating?

Officials from the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited an excavating company near Canton for multiple safety violations. Bontrager Excavating, which lost an employee in an accident two years ago, is facing federal fines after the inspection.

OSHA officials cited the company for three serious violations at a work site on June 15 during the inspection, which was a result of an anonymous complaint from a worker. Proposed fines total $115,000.

OSHA has taken an initiative in uncovering trenching and excavating fines in 2012 because the related accidents are so dangerous.

“Cave-ins are perhaps the most feared trenching hazard. But other potentially fatal hazards exist, including asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen in a confined space, inhalation of toxic fumes, drowning, etc. Electrocution or explosions can occur when workers contact underground utilities,” reads OSHA’s website. “OSHA requires that workers in trenches and excavations be protected, and that safety and health programs address the variety of hazards they face.”

OSHA hopes that a crackdown on trenching violations in 2012 will lead to fewer accidents in 2013 and beyond. Please visit our site for more information on workers comp, and contact our firm for a free consultation.

Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus workers comp attorneys.