OSHA Reports Major Decline in Trench Deaths, $119 Million In Penalties

According to a report by the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), there has been a significant decline in the number of trench deaths by up to 70% for the fiscal year 2024 ending on September 30, 2024. This marks a major decline since 39 fatalities were recorded in 2022. This resulted in the number of death investigations dropping by 11% across all industries in the last fiscal year.

According to the law, OSHA is tasked with investigating around 60% of private employers in case any incident of workplace fatalities occurs at workplaces. The other private employers are investigated by organizations where states have approved the independent federally approved safety programs.

As far as the last fiscal year is concerned, 826 worker deaths were investigated by the OSHA. This marks an 11% drop as compared to the previous fiscal year when 928 fatalities were recorded. If deaths related to the Covid pandemic were to be ignored, the current number of death investigations is the lowest since the year 2017.

Commenting on the decline in the number of workplace fatalities, OSHA pointed out that the success in reducing the number of deaths was due to increased emphasis on public outreach. There was also a greater emphasis on enforcement of the regulations that led to the decline, especially as far as falls and trench collapses were concerned. These two are the leading causes of death in the construction sector.  

The number of deaths investigated by OSHA due to fatal falls in the construction sector also dropped by 20% in the past fiscal year.

If the total investigations by the OSHA and the state agencies were to be totaled, the number of fatal trench investigations have dropped by 70% since the year 2022. The year 2022 had witnessed 39 workers dying in trench collapses. The number of deaths due to trench collapses fell to 15 in 2023 and then to 12 in the current year.

According to the OSHA, the “decreases follow intensive outreach and education by OSHA and industry partners, work by state plans and aggressive enforcement under a ‘zero tolerance’ policy for unprotected trenches.” The agency further stated that the decline witnessed in fatalities was also followed by “including immediate inspections and referrals for criminal prosecution where warranted.”

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Citations and penalties in 2024

A total of 26,005 citations were incurred by employers in the construction sector in the last fiscal year. The citations amounted to penalties worth $119 million. The data revealed by the OSHA involves the period starting from the 1st of October 2023 to the 30th of September 2024.

This means the construction sector has become the industry to incur the highest number of citations and penalties.

Here is a table that outlines the top construction standards on the basis of which OSHA issued citations and imposed penalties in the last fiscal year.

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