Houston, TX
One minute he was working in the 8-foot trench below ground. The next, he was being buried in it. His co-workers came to his rescue, digging him out with their bare hands. Moments after they pulled the injured man to safety, the unprotected trench collapsed again. His injuries were serious and led to his hospitalization.
The man's Houston-area employer, Hassell Construction Co. Inc. knew the Richmond, Texas excavation site was dangerous, but failed to protect its workers.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Hassell Construction for the following:
- 16 safety violations, including six egregious willful violations for failing to protect workers inside an excavation from a cave-in.
- 9 serious violations, including failing to remove debris from the edge of the excavation.
"Trench cave-ins are preventable," said John Hermanson, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas.
"There are long-established, basic precautions. They're not new, and they're not a secret. Hassell Construction knew its trenches weren't safe, but still put its workers in harm's way."
OSHA has placed the company in its Sever Violators Enforcement Program. The program concentrates resources on inspecting employers who have demonstrated indifference towards creating a safe and healthy workplace by committing willful or repeated violations, and/or failing to abate known hazards. It also mandates follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law.
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