Recently in Texas, two men were seriously injured on the job. In some ways, their circumstances looked very different. They were in different cities, working for different employers. One was repairing a roof, high above the ground. The other was in a trench, about eight feet down.
OSHA has cited an Illinois sewer and water contractor for one willful and two serious safety violations after two employees were observed working in a 25 foot-deep trench without adequate cave-in protection while installing storm sewers.
One worker was killed and another injured when a 10’ unprotected trench collapsed December 5 less than ten minutes after the two entered it. Municipal District Services LLC, based in Cypress, Texas, was summoned to the scene to repair a water main that was accidentally damaged by a gas line technician.