The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has

cited Ted Herbert, LLC for six safety and health violations, including one willful violation and

five serious violation. They come in response to an inspection of a worksite in Baton Rouge, LA

in May of 2015. This inspection was initiated in response to a workplace fatality after an

employee was trapped under dirt from a trench collapse. The citations are for violations relating

to trench hazards and failure to provide an adequate protection system. These violations carry

proposed penalties of $105,000.

“There is no excuse for exposing workers to deadly trench collapse hazards,” said Dorinda Folse,

OSHA’s area director in Baton Rouge. “The employer knew what needed to be done, yet a

broken trench box lay nearby. Workers had to enter an unsafe trench with no adequate means of

keeping the trench from caving in on them.”

If you own a business in an industry which involves trenches, it is imperative you have

safeguards in place to protect your employees from trench collapses and other hazards. If not,

employees are in danger and your company is exposed to potential fines and citations. If you are

concerned about your trench hazard policies and procedures, you should review them and update

them, and contact a qualified third party occupational safety and health auditing firm, if needed,

to assist.

If you have any questions about this inspection or about updating policies and procedures for

trench hazards, please contact us. If you have anything to add about the inspection or about the

importance of updated trench hazard policies and procedures, please leave a comment.