Watery excavation with no quick way out earns company OSHA citations
Agency: “These workers were fortunate”
OSHA has cited Accadia Site Contracting Inc. for alleged willful and serious excavation safety violations found at a water main site at Lewiston Road and McKinley Avenue in Niagara Falls. The Depew, NY-based contractor faces a total of $84,000 in proposed fines after an inspection by OSHA's Buffalo Area Office.
On March 7, OSHA found workers in a 7-foot deep vertical-walled excavation that lacked protection to prevent wall cave-ins, and a ladder every 25 feet to facilitate a swift and safe exit from the excavation. Moreover, 8 inches of water accumulated in the excavation's bottom, increasing the likelihood of a collapse.