OSHA Cites Two Florida Contractors for Trench Safety Violations
Masci General Contractor Inc. and KT Carter Contracting Inc. face $363,436 in fines.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Dec 10, 2024
OSHA has issued citations and penalties totaling $363,436 to two North Florida contractors for exposing workers to life-threatening excavation hazards.
According to a recent release, inspectors on May 28, 2024, observed workers employed by Masci General Contractor Inc. installing a sewer line in a 6-foot-deep, 40-foot-long trench in Daytona Beach without required cave-in protections like shoring or trench boxes. A similar incident occurred days later in Jacksonville, where OSHA found KT Carter Contracting Inc. workers in a 12-foot-deep trench under unsafe conditions. In both cases, inspectors immediately removed workers from the hazardous environments.
Masci General Contractor faces $216,633 in proposed penalties for willful and serious violations, while KT Carter faces $146,803. Both companies were cited for failing to implement safety measures, including cave-in protection and safe entry and exit points, as well as for unsafe spoil pile placement near the trench edges.
“Exposing workers to unprotected trenches puts their lives at serious risk,” OSHA Area Director Scott Tisdale in Jacksonville said in a statement. “In a matter of seconds, a trench wall can collapse, burying workers under tons of soil, leading to life-altering injuries, incidents that are completely preventable with the right safety measures in place. In these cases, we are fortunate that our inspectors were able to intervene before a tragedy occurred, rather than responding to one afterward.”
The contractors have 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest the findings before an independent review commission.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.