tRENCH cOLLAPSE, FAILure TO ADDRESS HAZARD

​Connecticut contractor's failure to address hazards turns deadly when trench collapse buried worker at Vernon job site. (Hartford, CT)

Botticello Inc. faces $375K in OSHA fines after death that 'never should have happened'

After a federal investigation, it was determined that a Manchester contractor failed to provide required safeguards which resulted in a trench collapse.  Ultimately, this failure to act or comply with legal requirements resulted in the death of an employee on July 22, 2022.  The employee was buried as a result of a cave-in when an 8-foot-deep trench collapsed.  

"This deadly cave-in and the worker's death should never have happened," said OSHA Area Director Dale Varney in Hartford, Connecticut. "

A PREVIOUS inspection by OSHA issues with the work site and the findings included:

• Provide the trench with a protective system to prevent it from collapsing and caving in on workers.
• Have a competent person conduct inspections before and during the work to identify and correct any hazardous conditions before employees entered the trench.
• Ensure the 135-foot-long trench contained sufficient means of egress to allow employees to safely exit.

Federal trenching safety standards require:
 -protective systems for trenches deeper than 5 feet, and that soil and other materials be kept at least 2 feet from the trench's edge. (Working Safely in Trenches (osha.gov)
-Trenches must also be inspected by a knowledgeable person, be free of standing water and atmospheric hazards and have a safe means of entry and exit before a worker may enter.
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To view the full article on the OSHA website click here Connecticut contractor’s failure to address hazards turns deadly when trench collapse buried worker at Vernon job site | Occupational Safety and Health Administration (osha.gov)