Major Fine Imposed On 4 Contractors For Trench Violations In FL, ME, & TX

Safety violations in construction worksites can never be taken light-handed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) takes this matter extremely seriously and does not tolerate even minor level violations.

One such example of OSHA’s strict rule over safety violations has been seen recently in Florida, Maine, and Texas, where 4 contractors got heavy fines for violating trench safety regulations.

The said four major fines proposed by OSHA on trench safety violations were reported between 13 November to 26 December 2024. The overall amount of the fine was recorded as $631,989. In this unfortunate event, one fatality was recorded.

What has happened in Maine?

This trench violation mishap was recorded on June 15, 2024, in Brownville, Maine in which a 67-year-old worker, Stephen Lane, lost his life.

He was trapped behind a 40-60 ft portion of a retaining wall which was collapsed when Lane was about to install a 12-inch culvert. For this unprofessional action, Patriot Paving Group LLC was fined $161,325 as a penalty. 

OSHA has marked them for providing inadequate safety training, and lack of protective measures on the site.

OSHA has also found in the investigation that a used wheel excavator was used closely to the trench wall that was operated by Clifford Lane. This might be the cause of the wall collapse inside the trench. 

What has been recorded in Texas?

For OSHA, it is not new to put fines on some Texas-based companies as multiple events have occurred due to the negligence of the construction contractors or companies that have caused the mishaps.

Bandera might be fined $107,228 for this most recent occurrence happened in July 2024. The lack of safe departure routes, like sufficient ladders, and protection measures was noted by inspectors. 

Expert says that this is a mere example of when companies do not learn from their previous catastrophes and continue to practice the same mistakes. Now this time, the company has to pay a major legal penalty and hopefully it could resist repeating the same mistake in future.

OSHA might take serious action against the company if even a single event has happened again. 

What did Florida contractors do that got them penalties?

A few days apart, a similar type of incident was reported in Florida where the trench violation took the attention of OSHA. In this event, 4 contractors were fined by OSHA, and one of them got the highest punishment. 

OSHA inspectors discovered Masci General Contractor Inc. employees building a sewer line in a 6-foot-deep hole in Daytona Beach on May 28, 2024, without the necessary cave-in protection. Because of the dangerous conditions, the inspectors pulled the workers out of the trench right away.

Masci General Contractor is facing proposed fines of $216,633 for knowingly putting employees in danger by neglecting to use shoring systems or trench boxes. 

Additional violations were given for failing to provide a safe trench exit and exposing workers to struck-by dangers. On June 4, 2024, in Jacksonville, a similar situation occurred when workers from K T Carter Contracting Inc. were discovered in a 12-foot-deep hole without proper safety precautions. 

Due to the Jacksonville-based contractor’s incorrect placement of spoil piles and absence of cave-in protection, OSHA suggested $146,803 in fines.

These types of incidents and penalties are a clear indication that safety measures are a must to implement at all types of construction worksites. Whether the job is tough or it is a small-scale project, never ignore the safety measures and force the employees to follow them by heart. This is only for the safety of the workers as construction hazards may immediately become the life-or-death risk in a matter of minutes.

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