L&I hands Vancouver firm large fine for multiple trenching, excavation violations
TUMWATER — Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries
has fined a Vancouver construction company that specializes in excavation and
trenching $126,400 for multiple safety violations.
Colf
Construction was a subcontractor on the 10th Street Bridge project
in Ridgefield, WA when the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH)
opened the inspection March 20, 2018. DOSH conducted eight site visits during
the inspection, which closed Aug. 30, and found trenching violations during
five of those visits. DOSH cited the company for six willful and serious
violations.
The violations
included not ensuring workers were protected from cave-ins, not performing
daily excavation inspections, not removing workers from hazardous areas,
employees working under suspended load, no safe access or exit available from
excavations, and lack of fall protection.
"Trenching and excavation incidents can happen suddenly, and
cave-ins are often deadly," said Anne Soiza, L&I’s assistant director
for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health. "This employer knew
the dangers and had been warned before. Every employer that does trenching and
excavation needs to know there are many complex deadly hazards that must be
taken seriously and controlled. These hazards are a focus for the
department and nationwide due to their high rate of worker fatalities."
Cave-ins pose the greatest risk to workers performing
excavation and trenching work, and even a four-foot deep trench can present
life-threatening hazards. One cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a car,
and cave-ins can happen much too fast for a worker to respond. In this case not
only were the workers not protected from this hazard, there were also no easy
entry and exit paths from the trenches.
The
employer has 15 business days to appeal the citations.
Penalty
money paid as a result of a citation is placed in the workers' compensation
supplemental pension fund, helping injured workers and families of those who
have died on the job.
For a copy of
the citations, contact Frank Ameduri of Public Affairs at 360-902-5413.
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For media information: Frank Ameduri,
L&I Public Affairs, 360-902-5413.
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