DOL Beefs Up Enforcement to Fight Trench Fatalities

The U.S. Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced enhanced workplace safety enforcement efforts intended to combat what the agency called an alarming rise in trench-related fatalities in the first half of 2022. Twenty-two workers died doing trench and excavation work in the first half of the year, a 68% increase over the 15 workers who died doing similar work in all of 2021. “To stress the dangers of disregarding federal workplace safety requirements for trenching and excavation work, OSHA enforcement staff will consider every available tool a...