The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a building contractor and a staffing company for safety violations after a worker suffered fatal injuries while operating a mini-excavator beneath an elementary school in Converse, Texas.
The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an inspection after a Jan. 7, 2026, incident at Converse Elementary School involving a D L Bandy Constructors Inc. employee who was removing accumulated dirt from the school’s crawl space with a mini excavator and became trapped between the equipment and a concrete beam, resulting in fatal injuries. Pacesetters Personnel Services also supplied workers for the project to assist with dirt removal.
The agency cited D L Bandy Constructors Inc. with one willful violation for removing the rollover protective structures from mini-excavators and adding fabricated parts so the equipment could fit inside the crawl space.
The agency also issued 15 serious violations related to confined space hazards, including failing to identify and evaluate permit-required confined spaces, conduct required atmospheric testing, provide adequate ventilation and communication, train employees, designate confined space personnel, and implement required entry and rescue procedures.
Pacesetters Personnel Services received two serious violations for failing to ensure permit-required confined space entry procedures were followed and for failing to provide confined space training to temporary workers assigned to the project.
OSHA proposed $276,399 in penalties for D L Bandy Constructors Inc. and $23,170 for Pacesetters Personnel Services.
Source: Department of Labor
Topics Texas K-12 Education Contractors
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