OSHA Fines Company for Trench Protection Violation
A company in Wisconsin was fined $108,500 for failing to provide adequate protection in trenches.
A trench firm in Wisconsin is being fined $108,500 for not providing proper protection for employees in a trench.
MasTec Inc., a construction company specializes in pipelines, water systems, and more.
Upon inspection of a construction site where a pipe was being laid, OSHA determined that the company committed a willful violation by failing to provide cave-in protection. Employees were working in a trench eight feet deep. Companies must provide cave-in protection if the trench is more than five feet deep.
This is not the first time OSHA has fined the company for employee safety issues. In 2009 and 2010, the company was cited on two separate occasions for not providing escape ladders close enough to trench workers.