TOPEKA — An investigation into a trench wall collapse in Salina found that Precision Plumbing LLC willfully violated federal regulations on trench safety, resulting in proposed penalties of more than $300,000.
In January 2023, a worker from Precision Plumbing, a Cheney plumbing company, was digging nine feet below the surface to connect a plumbing line to a municipal sewer in Salina when he was buried by a wall collapse, Monday said US Department of Labor press release. The company foreman entered the ditch to dig up the buried worker as the ditch continued to collapse, burying him to his knees.
Both men survived.
“Fortunately, first responders rescued two workers when a 9-foot ditch collapsed,” said Todd Underwood, OSHA area director, in the news release. “This incident is a stark reminder of how the ground can suddenly shift and bury a person in a matter of seconds. Many other workers are less fortunate. In fact, in 2022 alone, OSHA investigated the deaths of 39 workers in trench collapses.”
Following the collapse, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an investigation on June 28, citing two willful and six serious violations by Precision Plumbing, with a total fine of $333,949. The company had 15 days to decide how to resolve the issue Citation.
Both intentional violations were also classified as serious in the subpoena.
A willful violation occurs when an employer knowingly fails to comply with a legal requirement or is indifferent to the safety of workers, according to the law US Department of Labor Website. A serious violation is when the hazard would have a high probability of causing death or serious injury, unless the employer was unaware or could have been unaware of the violation.
Major violations in the subpoena included the company’s failure to ensure workers in hazardous areas wore head, eye and face protection; were protected from the danger of drowning by an unsupported water main in the ditch; and received training on hazardous chemicals.
Precision Plumbing did not immediately respond to a call for comment.
OSHA also sued Multicon, a Park City contractor, for a serious violation because a contractor’s supervisor recognized the collapse hazard for Precision Plumbing but left the company before the hazard was rectified, the press release said. The proposed fine was $14,063.
A Multicon spokesman, who declined to give his name, said Kansas Reflector needed to speak to the owner for comment and that he was not present. They did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
kansasreflector.com
https://kansasreflector.com/2023/07/12/kansas-plumbing-company-penalized-more-than-300k-after-trench-collapse/
