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The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined DKS Structural Services, Inc for violations relating to excavation and trenching, according to EHS Today. OSHA officials inspected the facility in Huntsville, Alabama after a complaint from a worker who was terminated for refusing to enter an unprotected trench.
OSHA cited DKS for four serious violations. Two of the willful violations were for failure to provide safe entrances and exits from an excavation. Proposed penalties total $122,400. It also appears that DKS has opened itself up for another lawsuit for violating whistleblower protection laws for wrongfully terminating an employee.
“This employer knowingly put workers at risk of serious injury or death by ordering them back to work in an unprotected trench after experiencing a cave-in,” said Lisa Strunk, OSHA area director. “Risking the safety of workers is not an acceptable business decision.”
Other violations included a lack of fall protection and workers without proper helmets. For more information on workers comp visit our website, and contact our office for a free consultation.
Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC—Columbus workers comp attorneys