Contractor Contests $455K Fine for Alleged Trench Hazards

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited an excavation contractor for allegedly exposing employees to trench cave-ins and other serious hazards while working on a municipal project in North Dakota. Kamphuis Pipeline Co. faces proposed penalties of $454,750 as a result of the citations, which were issued March 15. The company has contested the citations. In September and October, OSHA inspected sites in Dawson and Tappen where workers were installing water metering pits and lines. According to the citations, inspectors found that workers weren’t wearing helmets,...