OSHA Cites Florida Contractor for Trenching Violation

Although Florida trenches aren't usually very deep, trenching is still very hazardous. And since Florida "soil" is not usually very cohesive, the hazards are even more severe. Construction workers often believe that they are safe because they are only 5 or 6 feet below the surface - how wrong they are. Why do they believe it? Well, it's because they are often untrained! They don't know the hazard!

I have regularly warned workers to slope, use a trench box, get a ladder, get the spoil back from the edge, barricade, etc. Normally, they don't have a problem complying, they just didn't know. Shame on their employers for not taking the time to educate them.

One Florida contractor learned a hard lesson recently when an 8' trench collapsed killing one of his employees. OSHA investigated and added to his problems by citing him for a willful violation of the excavation and trenching standard. I say "shame on the contractor" because another serious citation was for "failing to adequately train... ."

According to OSHA, "the Havana, Fla., company is being cited for one willful violation with a proposed penalty of $49,000 for allowing two employees to continue working in an 8-foot-deep trench after removing a protective trench box. After the box was removed, one worker was crushed when a sidewall of the trench collapsed."

Want to know more about construction excavation and trenching? Need a good handout for your training program?

This booklet is designed as a desk reference for safety professionals and jobsite superintendents/foremen when dealing with Trenching & Excavation issues on their jobsites. It also serves well as a hand-out companion for trenching and excavation training sessions or for the trenching and excavation portion of an OSHA 10 or 30 hour course. Click Here for details.