An Illinois-based excavation contractor, which has repeatedly violated safety standards in the past, has once again been found to be placing workers at risk to deadly trench cave-in hazards.
According to Nov. 22 U.S. Department of Labor news release, an inspector from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported seeing two A. Lamp Concrete Contractors Inc. workers on municipal sewer and water lines June 30, 2022, in Broadview, Ill., working in a 7-foot-deep trench without adequate cave-in protection or a safe way to enter or exit the trench.
“In mere seconds, thousands of pounds of soil can trap a worker in a trench collapse and lead to serious and often fatal injuries,” OSHA Chicago North Area Director Angeline Loftus said in the release.
The release states trench collapses are one of the most fatal hazards in the construction sector with OSHA revealing 22 workers lost their lives while performing trenching and excavation operations in the first half of 2022.
Loftus said the recent inspection “demonstrates the company’s lack of concern for federal regulations, industry-recognized best practices and its legal responsibility to protect workers on the job.”
