Missouri Contractor Fined More than $200K for Exposing Employees to Trenching Hazards

KANSAS CITY, MO - OSHA inspectors observed workers exposed to trenching and excavation hazards while installing water lines at Blue Line Contractors Inc, job site in Kansas City, Missouri, in May 2019.

According to a Department of Labor press release, the company has been placed by OSHA in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program and was cited for four repeat and five serious safety violations for failing to protect employees from trenching and electrical hazards. The company faces $210,037 in penalties.

“Trench collapses can be quick and cause serious or fatal injuries, but they are preventable,” said OSHA Kansas City Area Director Karena Lorek. “Employers must ensure that there is a safe way to enter and exit a trench, cave-in protection is used, all materials are placed away from the trench’s edge, standing water and other hazards are addressed, and no one enters a trench before it has been properly inspected.” OSHA’s National Emphasis Program provides information on ways to prevent trench collapse as well as a series of compliance assistance resources.

Blue Line Contractors Inc. has 15 days to appeal against these citations and penalties.

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