Unprotected 9-Foot Trench Nets $93,500 OSHA Fine for Contractor

Safety inspectors watched two Wisconsin laborers install a sewer line in an unprotected, 9-foot trench during a municipal construction job in June. The federal workplace safety agency later levied a $93,532 fine on road construction and general contracting company Earth Inc., of Arpin, for violations it found that day. Workers didn't have a means to exit the trench quickly if it collapsed, inspectors wrote, and the trench had no cave-in protection. And although someone on the team inspected the trench beforehand, that person let workers descend despite finding hazards. Federal safety st...