Alabama Company Agrees to Pay $73,000 to Settle OSHA Violations

Nov. 15, 2001
An underground utility contractor with a history of trenching violations agrees to pay $73,000 in penalties after being cited for exposing employees to trenching hazards.

An underground utility contractor in Talladega, Ala., with a history of trenching violations has agreed to pay $73,000 in penalties after being cited for exposing employees to trenching hazards.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Phipps Construction Co. Inc., for alleged willful and repeat violations of trench safety standards after inspecting a Lincoln, Ala., job site where the company was performing boring operations in connection with sewer pipe installation.

"The potential for tragedy at this site was real," said Robert Sanchez, OSHA's Birmingham area director. "Excavation walls that are not sloped, shored, or otherwise protected can collapse without notice burying and killing workers trapped within. "

Acting under a Trenching National Emphasis Program which allows self-referrals, OSHA compliance officers initiated an inspection April 24 when they observed employees working in an unprotected trench. Failure to provide a protective system for employees working in the excavation, which was greater than six feet deep, resulted in one alleged willful citation; one alleged repeat citation was issued for failing to perform daily inspections of the trench.

"We cited Phipps Construction in 1999 and 2000 for trenching violations, and again earlier in April 2001 for similar violations on two nearby job sites," said Sanchez. "We found the same kinds of violations again during this inspection. In fact, two days after the inspection was completed, employees continued to enter excavations without protection against potential cave-in."

The company agreed to settle the remaining two OSHA cases completed in April 2001 for an additional $32,000.

Willful violations are those committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. OSHA defines a repeat violation as one which occurs when an employer has been cited previously for a similar condition and the citation has become a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

edited by Sandy Smith

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EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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