Working in Trenches is Dangerous Work

• Industry experts say that 2022 was the deadliest year on record for trench collapses, according the the latest data.
• Despite a slight slow down in 2023, deaths continued. The most common citation issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was for failure to have adequate cave-in protection.
• The slight decline in 2023 is being attributed to increased enforcement by OSHA.
• In 2024, so far, four workers have been killed in trench collapses.
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Kansas Contractor Cited

• Triple A Built LLC, a Wellsville, Kansas based construction contractor, has been cited for thousands of dollars in penalties for inadequate fall protection.
• Specifically, the citation says that “employees engaged residential construction activities above 6 feet or more…were not protected by guard rail systems,” among other things.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the company for six repeat violations and one serious violation, not only for lack of fall but also for lack of eye protection.
• On citation specifically mentions failure to protect workers from “flying particle hazards associated with residential framing.” The violations were brought to OSHA’s attention in 2023.
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Florida Company Cited for Heat

• A farm labor contractor is facing thousands of dollars in fines after the death of a worker.
• McNeil Labor Management, a agricultural contractor, was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after a farm work died from a heat-related illness in a sugar cane field.
• According to OSHA, the heat index reached 97 degrees in Palm Beach County. OSHA said the McNeil didn’t allow workers time to acclimate to the hot weather.
• Florida has been singled out for criticism after the law signed by the governor banned the ability of local governments to regulate heat exposure.
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Worker Injured by Power Line

• An Indiana worker was nearly electrocuted when a truck bumped a power line
• The worker was on the ground when he made contact with a bucket truck receiving a shock.
• The bucket truck was then engulfed in flames.
• The worker suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.
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Environmental Standards can Aid Safety

• A company’s Environment Health and Safety Team can work in tandem with its Environment Social Governance team to achieve better safety outcomes, experts say.
• Under the Occupational and Safety Act employers are required to meet safety rules and regulations to keep employees safe. In doing so it also protects the environment, for example by preventing a chemical spill that will also harm employees.
• Company tracking of injuries and illnesses can also provide a record that tracks with its ESG standards.
• The EHS team can also take the lead in environmental permitting and emissions recording, among other things.
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Poor Planning Results in Serious Injuries

• A Safety board has concluded that poor planning contributed to the injuries suffered on a public highway.
• Workers in Quebec Canada were hit by a vehicle while working on a sewer manhole.
• The worker was preparing a set of tools with his back to traffic when he was struck.
• The safety board cited lack of proper signage by the company as a contributing factor.
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