Manchester-based contractor, Botticello Inc., has been cited by the US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for exposing one of their employees to deadly hazards at a construction site in Vernon, Connecticut. The employee died as a result of a trench collapse while connecting drainage piping at the site on July 22, 2022.
An investigation by OSHA found that Botticello Inc. failed to provide legally required safeguards to prevent the trench from collapsing and failed to have a competent person conduct inspections before the worker entered the trench. The company was cited for three willful violations and has been proposed $375,021 in penalties.
OSHA Area Director, Dale Varney, expressed that this tragedy should have been prevented and stated that the company was aware of the dangers of working in an unprotected trench after a previous OSHA inspection. Federal trenching safety standards require protective systems for trenches deeper than 5 feet and for soil and other materials to be kept 2 feet from the trench’s edge. Trenches must also be inspected by a knowledgeable person and have a safe means of entry and exit before a worker may enter.
The family-owned Botticello Inc. has 15 business days to comply with the citations and penalties, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
OSHA has a National Emphasis Program in place to raise awareness about trenching hazards and holds violators accountable. The organization encourages reporting of any hazardous trench situations to help save lives.