Texas Company Faces $250K in Proposed Penalties After Two Workers Die from Trench Collapse
OSHA cited the construction company for a lack of a trench protective system, among other violations.
- By Alex Saurman
- Jan 04, 2023
Following the death of two workers after a June 2022 trench collapse, a Texas construction company is facing $250,272 in proposed penalties.
According to a news release, in Jarrell, Texas, the workers were in a 23-foot-deep trench when part of it collapsed. OSHA found that Texas Construction Company WBW Construction LLC lacked both a trench protective system and “an exit point within 25 feet inside a trench.” These resulted in citations for two willful-serious violations in addition to four serious violations regarding ladder usage, inspections, training and water in a trench.
“WBW Construction LLC willfully sent these workers into an unprotected trench and ignored federal safety requirements. Now, two workers’ families, friends and co-workers are left to grieve their tragic, and avoidable, deaths,” said OSHA Area Director Casey Perkins in Austin, Texas, in the news release. “Incidents like this can be prevented by following proven and well-known methods to protect workers from the deadly hazards in trenching and excavation work.”
Sedona Staffing Services, the company that staffed the two workers who died, also faces one serious citation and $9,324 in proposed penalties for a lack of inspection.
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.