The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined an excavation company for the deaths of two Colorado workers who were trapped for hours in a collapsed trench.
The Fort Collins Coloradoan reported Friday that Firestone-based Backhoe Excavating was fined $31,446 for five citations. The largest fine was more than $13,000 for failing to provide an adequate protective system for the workers, 26-year-old Cristopher Ramirez, of Boulder, and 41-year-old Jorge Valadez, of Denver.
The company also received two citations totaling more than $10,000 for not following specific excavation requirements.
The workers were installing sewer pipe in a 15-foot-deep trench in Windsor on April 16 when it gave way. They were dead when emergency crews reached them.
Crews had used a PVC pipe to communicate with one of the men during the rescue effort.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Big Food Readies New Strategy Against RFK Jr. Push in States 
Rivian Agrees to Pay $250 Million to Settle IPO Fraud Lawsuit 
Old Republic to Acquire Small Farmowner Insurer Everett Cash Mutual 
Trucking App Trucker Path Launches Retail Insurance Agency 
