Texas Company Fined $86K for Trenching Hazards

January 31, 2016

Federal safety officials have cited a Texas construction company for exposing workers to trenching hazards at a site in Katy. Proposed penalties total $86,240.

Five citations were issued by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Jan. 22 to Hurtado Construction Co. of Richmond, Texas,

OSHA issued citations for one serious and four repeat violations.

The serious violation involved failing to provide adequate protection in excavations where employees were working in areas with accumulated water.

The repeat violations include failing to provide a safe means of egress, failing to provide protection from excavated materials, failing to inspect an excavation prior to the start of work, and failing to provide adequate cave-in protection such as sloping, benching or using a protective shield system.

Hurtado Construction, which specializes in underground utility construction, employs approximately 90 workers and has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: OSHA

Topics Texas Workers' Compensation Construction

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