Company cited after employee killed in trench collapse
OSHA has cited Payne Enterprises Inc. – a plumbing contractor based in Dayton, Ohio – for exposing employees to multiple trenching and excavation hazards following an employee fatality. The company faces penalties of $145,860.
The employee suffered fatal injuries in a trench collapse at a residential construction site in Bellbrook, Ohio. OSHA cited Payne Enterprises Inc. for two repeated violations for not having a competent individual inspect the trench before allowing employees to enter, and for failing to install an adequate protective system to prevent the trench collapse. OSHA cited the company for similar violations in 2017 and 2018. The Agency has placed the company in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.