Oregon OSHA Fines Contractor for Repeatedly Violating Excavation Safety Rules

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division fined Hillsboro-based Renner Trucking and Excavating Inc. $80,804 for repeatedly violating rules intended to protect workers from trenches caving in.

Oregon OSHA issued a citation to the company on May 12 following an inspection that found two employees working in a trench with no protective system in place. The trench was roughly 3 feet wide by 12 feet long and more than 5 feet deep. It was part of work-to-build a home in Beaverton.

The division conducted the inspection under a program that focuses enforcement resources on trenching and excavation hazards.

Oregon OSHA cited Renner Trucking and Excavating Inc. for three violations of the Oregon Safe Employment Act. Those violations were:

• Failure to provide a sufficient protective system to protect employees from a trench collapse. It was a first-repeat violation with a penalty of $39,696.
• Failure to ensure a competent person was available to identify and address existing and predictable trench hazards. It was a first-repeat violation with a penalty of $39,696.
• Failure to provide adequate protection for employees from loose rock or soil potentially falling from the face of the trench onto their heads. It was a serious violation with a penalty of $1,412.

The total penalty issued to the company included a standard reduction based on the size of the company. Employers have 30 calendar days after receiving a citation to file an appeal.

Topics Workers' Compensation Contractors Oregon