Chicago-area Contractor Fined $123K for Lack of Cave-In Protection

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued A. Lamp Concrete Contractors Inc., a road building contractor in Schaumburg, Ill., that engages in concrete and underground construction, one willful, one serious and two repeat safety citations for failing to protect workers from cave-ins during trenching operations at a jobsite in Morton Grove.

The company faces proposed penalties of $122,960.

The willful citation, with a proposed penalty of $69,300, alleges that employees were working in a trench at a depth greater than seven feet without cave-in protection during an inspection on Oct. 4, 2010. A trench box that would protect workers was located near the site but not installed.

Based on the October inspection, the company was issued a repeat citation with a penalty of $29,700 for failing to provide a safe means of access and egress for employees working in an excavation.

The company received an additional repeat citation with a proposed penalty of $20,000 based on an inspection that occurred Sept. 7, 2010. In September, OSHA inspectors observed workers in a trench at a depth greater than nine feet without adequate cave-in protection, as shoring had been partially installed but did not meet OSHA requirements.

The serious citation with a proposed penalty of $3,960 was issued for failing to provide hardhats for employees exposed to overhead hazards.

Both inspections were conducted under OSHA’s national emphasis program on trenching and excavation. The company has been inspected by OSHA 12 times since 1999, resulting in 13 citations, including six prior citations for lack of cave-in protection at various worksites.

A. Lamp Concrete Contractors has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Source: OSHA