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    1. Underground Construction

    OSHA Fines Jerlow Construction in Trench Fatality

    Aug. 13, 2024
    $85,173 in penalties for repeat violations of trench safety rules.
    66bb5e8fb77693176fc7c8ac Osha

    Investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined that a 61-year-old employee of Jerlow Construction, Edmond, Oklahoma, died when a 9-foot-deep trench collapsed in Shawnee, Oklahoma. OSHA said the excavation did not have proper protections, including shielding, benching, sloping, or other devices.

    Two employees were below the surface installing an 8-inch water line, according to OSHA.

    Tools for trench safety

    Jerlow Construction has had five other safety violations dating back to 2018, according to OSHA, three of which are related to underground trenches. The company faces penalties of $85,173 in the most recent incident. Citations include one repeat violation and three serious violations.

    The repeat violation was for inadequately protecting workers in a trench. Jerlow had been cited in November 2019 and again in March 2020 for not protecting employees at two other job sites.

    “No one should ever be allowed to enter or work in an excavation without required protective systems in place and without inspection of the trench by a qualified person,” said Steven Kirby, OSHA area director in Oklahoma City. “Despite numerous warnings and notices of violations for failing to protect employees in trenches, Jerlow Construction has joined the all-too-long list of employers whose defiance of federal regulations resulted in a preventable loss of life. Their failures are inexcusable.”