A construction company that has been cited in the past in North Carolina by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now being investigated at a construction site in another state.

OSHA began the investigation this summer and learned that the site--where workers are replacing high-pressure gaslines--is home to several trenching and excavation hazards that could lead to construction accidents or even death.

The current construction site that OSHA is investigating is in Newman, Georgia, and OSHA has found that the company has failed to provide a safe exit from a 5-foot-10-inch trench and has also failed to safeguard workers from experiencing a cave-in. OSHA rules call for all excavations that are five feet or deeper to have protections against collapse.

The company has been cited by OSHA for two willful violations of exposing workers to a potential trench collapse. The citations carry $140,000 in penalties. That the violation is listed as "willful" means that it was committed with intentional or voluntary disregard for the law, or with indifference to the health and safety of the workers.

The construction company provides gas pipeline services in many states and it has been cited three additional times since 2010--in North Carolina, Alabama and Texas. The company has 15 business days from the date that it received the citations to comply, request a conference or contest the findings.

Last week, in our Charlotte Workers' Compensation Law Blog, we discussed the North Carolina Department of Labor's announcement that 53 people died in preventable workplace accidents in 2011. It is very important that North Carolina employers pay attention to these issues and provide workplaces free from occupational hazards.

Source: EHS Today, "Inspector Sees Employees Exposed to Cave-In Hazards, OSHA Launches Investigation," Sandy Smith, Jan. 13, 2012