An Auburn, Ala.-based contractor exposed workers to dangerous cave-in hazards and failed to use safety measures to prevent excavation collapse, OSHA inspectors found, during an investigation conducted as part of the agency’s National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation.
Among other safety violations, D&J Enterprises Inc. was cited for allowing employees to work in an excavation without cave-in protection. OSHA requires that all trenches and excavation sites 5 feet or deeper be protected against sidewall collapses by shoring of trench walls, sloping of the soil at a shallow angle, or by using a protective trench box.