Inspections at Two South Dakota Sites Leads to Citations for Contractor
Siteworks Inc. faces proposed penalties of $85,005 following the inspections.
- By Alex Saurman
- Feb 10, 2023
OSHA inspections at two different sites in South Dakota have resulted in citations for a contractor.
After OSHA heard that workers hit an overhead powerline, it inspected a site near 57th Street and South Mellenberndt Place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on August 18, 2022. The agency noted that the employees, who were digging a trench, were not protected while “working near energized electrical powerlines from dangerous electric shock,” per the news release. This resulted in OSHA citing the employer, Siteworks Inc., for one serious violation and proposing penalties of $6,875.
The very next day, an employee was found working in a trench that had no protection at a site near 41st Street and Valleyview Road in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Siteworks received citations for one willful violation and faces proposed penalties of $78,130 for the inspection.
OSHA’s proposed penalties total $85,005.
“To understand Siteworks Inc.’s serious disregard for their employees’ safety, consider they narrowly avoided a group of workers being electrocuted on Thursday and left another worker unprotected from the deadly risk of trench collapse on Friday,” explained OSHA Area Director Sheila Stanley in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in the news release.
“Federal workplace safety regulations and industry-recognized methods are intended to keep workers safe and make sure they are able to safely finish their day’s work and return home,” Stanley added.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.