RIGID Constructors Cited for Safety Failures After Worker’s Drowning
RIGID Constructors LLC faces over $50,703 in penalties for failing to prevent a worker’s drowning at a North Carolina worksite.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Dec 30, 2024
Louisiana-based contractor RIGID Constructors LLC now faces serious safety violations following the drowning of a 27-year-old heavy equipment operator at a Leland, North Carolina, worksite in August 2024. OSHA investigators proposed $50,703 in penalties for failure to comply with safety regulations that could have prevented the incident.
According to a recent release, the drowning occurred when the equipment operator and a foreman attempted to reposition a pump at the water-filled Cell-3 Eagle Island site using an amphibious excavator. The machine tipped over while exiting the water, trapping the operator underwater. Emergency responders were unable to save them.
OSHA’s investigation found that RIGID Constructors failed to train workers in operating the marsh hoe used during the incident and did not provide or enforce the use of personal protective and lifesaving equipment. The company also neglected to provide a skiff for emergency rescues, a measure required by federal safety standards.
“RIGID Constructors’ failure to comply with federal safety and health standards resulted in a preventable tragedy,” OSHA Area Director Kimberley Morton in Raleigh, North Carolina, said in a statement. “Safety cannot be just a marketing slogan or an afterthought; it must be a core commitment. Workplace safety isn’t optional, a privilege for some or merely a recommendation; it is the law.”
RIGID Constructors, headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana, specializes in heavy civil and marine construction services and employs approximately 370 workers nationwide. The company has 15 business days to either comply with OSHA’s findings, request an informal meeting, or contest the citations before an independent commission.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.