OSHA to Austin-Area Construction Companies: Don't Repeat Lockhart's Mistake

Two construction companies at an Austin work site received federal safety citations for failing to adequately guard trenches, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced this week. Austin Constructors LLC received one willful and three serious violations, which give rise to a fine of $113,486. OSHA cited Muniz Concrete and Contracting Inc. for one serious violation — exposing workers to trench cave-in hazards. That violation yielded a $7,857 penalty. "There are roughly 54 fatalities associated with excavations each year, such as the one that happened in L...