PA Construction Company Fined Over $200K for Exposing Employees to Trenching Hazards

OSHA says Etna Construction Inc. failed to install protective systems, failed to provide a safe means of exit and failed to ensure employees wore hardhats, among other hazards

March 6, 2019

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)

50517172 2503268396367511 6531766717360635904 N

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Etna Construction Inc. — based in Warminster, PA — for exposing employees to excavation hazards at a worksite in Philadelphia. The company faces $208,560 in penalties.

OSHA determined that the company failed to install protective systems inside the excavation area; provide a safe means of exit from the excavation area; correct excavation deficiencies; and instruct employees on recognizing excavation hazards. The employer also failed to ensure employees wore hardhats to prevent head injuries and did not properly guard protruding reinforced steel.

View OSHA’s Construction Hazards Prevention Videos on trenching and soil classification.

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

White Cap has also acquired Crimson Steel Supply, LLC (Crimson Steel), a distributor and fabricator of engineered steel rebar and structural steel products serving non-residential and infrastructure end markets.

White Cap Expands Reach in Oklahoma, Oregon

White Cap has acquired Bend Construction - a supplier of struts, fasteners, anchors, and concrete accessories and products - and Crimson Steel - a distributor and fabricator of engineered steel rebar and structural steel products.

The Port of Baltimore is used by many of the largest construction machinery manufacturers.

Construction Supply Chain and the Baltimore Bridge Collapse

How much will construction and other supply chains be impacted by the collapse of the Baltimore Bridge and the suspension of traffic through the Port of Baltimore? End users may temporarily face delays and increases.

Emerging technologies and advancements including visual intelligence, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, robotics, immersive collaboration and 3D printing are surging in popularity among contractors and construction professionals.

Construction Trends for 2024

While the industry will continue to go through transformation like many others, those willing to marry the fundamentals of the craft with new technology and sustainable building methods can continue to experience great success in 2024 and beyond.

Customer Service 10860910

Exceptional Customer Service Starts with Confidence

Customers want to know that the employee they are working with is confident and will be able to serve them in a professional manner.

A working construction site.

Mental Health Options for Construction Workers

If you don’t have mental health support for your workers right now, start the conversation.

As AI continues to reshape construction industry tools and processes, a parallel phenomenon unfolds–the race to construct AI data centers.

How to Embrace AI in a Tech-averse Construction Industry

The need for collaborative dialogue, ethical oversight, and responsible innovation is paramount to harnessing the benefits of AI while mitigating its risks.

While cranes play a vital role in the transportation, construction, and agriculture industries, among others, operating this type of equipment can be especially dangerous if proper protocol is not followed.

Crane Safety Report Published

As the crane industry continues to navigate major safety challenges, NSC and the NCCCO Foundation plan to continue to provide additional resources to educate crane operators, inspectors, and employers about potential workplace hazards.

Many construction workers say they find it distracting to work alongside drones, and there’s evidence that even when drones are operating at a considerable distance from humans they often lead workers to look away from their tasks.

Robots are Rewriting the Rules of Construction Safety

To make worksites safer for humans, we need a smarter approach to automation.

MCWP1 55a62e7a286fc

MCWPs: Safe Work in the Sky

For temporary work at height, mast climbing work platforms and aerial work platforms are some of the safest and most efficient types of equipment you could possibly use. Sadly, accidents can still occur when the best equipment is not used correctly.

Adobe Stock 172031594 Lev

Reminder: Call Before You Dig

To keep homeowners, families, and communities safe, a few days before breaking ground, make a free request to have the approximate location of buried lines marked with flags or paint by calling 811.

Fire can escalate quickly if not mitigated promptly, and plans and preparation for an organized evacuation of a site is still real problem for most contractors.

Fire Remains an Ever-present Problem in Construction

It is high time now for all stakeholders involved in the fire safety and construction process to collaborate, educate and train on best practices and possibilities afforded by wireless safety technology.

Forklift Lithium Battery Safety

Forklift Battery Safety

How to ensure efficient and secure operations with lithium battery technology.

Building Trades Recovery Week - Breaking Down Stigma and Creating Hope

Recovery Week: Breaking Down Stigma & Creating Hope

Hope, help, and healing come through recovery. The story behind Building Trades Recovery Week, how it started in Boston, and is now spreading throughout the New England construction industry.

This VR experience is a new way to showcase Brigade’s Backeye 360.

Brigade Electronics to Share VR Tech at World of Asphalt

Brigade will be giving attendees the chance to experience the newest edition of Backeye 360AI using virtual reality (VR).

The first question OSHA will ask when they visit a jobsite is, “where’s your safety plan?” Is it easily accessible to your workers and do they have the resources they need to conduct their jobs safely?

4 Steps to Building a Construction Safety Program

Your safety plan—and the culture of safety you cultivate with your team—is your first line of defense to help prevent incidents and protect your bottom line.

The consequences for breaking 'dig laws” can widely vary from state to state.

Buried Risks: Protecting Underground Utilities During Construction

All stakeholders—private and public sector—need to do more to protect the American people from the potentially disastrous impact of striking buried utilities while digging.

Using Daily Huddles to Keep Your Crews Focused and Productive

So much time and money is wasted when crews are not well organized - here's what you can do to keep everyone on the same page.

Components Resilient Safety Culture Final

Construction Heavyweight Caterpillar Launches Safety Programs

Using human and organizational performance principles, Caterpillar Safety Services applies a new understanding of human behavior to safety.

Only 10% of women comprise the construction workforce, with 4% working onsite.

Women in Construction Data Report Released

Women in construction are breaking down stereotypes and some are even rising through the ranks, but there is still a long way to go before women can be equally as safe and comfortable on the job site as their male counterparts.

Clean Space Yellow Shirt

Concrete and Silica – Three Factors You Need to Know

If respirable dust is visible in a work area, adequate respiratory protection should be worn by workers in the contaminated area. Fortunately, there is growing awareness for the need for more adequate respiratory protection.

Loading4 5787bcdf61338

Are You Loading and Unloading Construction Equipment Safely?

Most of the incidents involving delivery drivers occurred during loading and unloading (48.7%). The main causes of driver-related incidents were identified as insecure load and the machine falling off between ramps.

Topics covered include single and extension, articulated, mobile, and stepladders, with courses available in English or Spanish.

Get Ready for National Ladder Safety Month

These four weeks each year allow the American Ladder Institute to take deep dives into different aspects of ladder safety, narrowing in on one topic each week, to promote safety tips and training.

Workzone Image

Developing Better Jobsite Safety Strategies

Take this as your sign. Safety planning for your jobsite can no longer be an afterthought.

The four-point chin strap system ensures a secure fit and prevents the helmet from dislodging in the event of a fall.

Protecting the Jobsite’s Most Important Asset: Workers' Brains

Type II helmets safeguard personnel from more than falling objects and have other benefits.

The new Fall Protection Bantam Switch provides movement without the weight of an SRL housing unit on the worker’s back.

Werner Launches Bantam Switch Self-retracting Lifeline

The new Fall Protection Bantam Switch provides movement without the weight of an SRL housing unit on the worker’s back.

TU700 will enable fleets to move towards 100% coverage offering global roaming, long-range Bluetooth support and Wi-Fi ready capabilities with new self-service CAN configuration.

Trackunit Releases TU700 IoT Device

TU700 will enable fleets to move towards 100% coverage offering global roaming, long-range Bluetooth support and Wi-Fi ready capabilities with new self-service CAN configuration.

Concrete Contractors And Fall Protection

Q&A On Fall Protection For Concrete Contractors

Concrete Contractor connected with Aric Getty, global head and vice president of 3M's Personal Safety Division for Hearing and Body Protection for one of the biggest issues on the construction site: fall protection.