When you work in construction, you know that there are some companies who follow safety protocol to a “T” and others who appear to skirt regulations when a deadline is coming up. While those with a strict sense of safety may require more from you as an employee, it’s all in the name of keeping you safe. Other employers, however, seem to be more interested in their bottom line than in the men and women doing the work.

One New Jersey company was just cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for failing to protect workers from trenching hazards.

According to OSHA, Henkel’s & McCoy Inc. has been cited with $70,000 in proposed penalties. A press release from the agency indicates that workers were in an 11-foot-deep trench without proper protection. They were exposed not only to a potential cave-in but also to both struck-by and crushing injuries.

“This company has a responsibility to ensure that workers are properly protected from known workplace hazards, such as trench cave-ins, a leading cause of death and injury in excavation work,” said OSHA’s area director Kris Hoffman. “OSHA will continue to hold employers accountable when they fail to protect their workers.”

The violations were discovered as part of an investigation that OSHA launched in conjunction with its “national emphasis program on trenching and excavation.”

These investigations are designed to ensure that employers are complying with the strictest safety standards. In other words, OSHA wants to make sure workers like you are kept safe.

In trenching and excavation, the greatest potential hazard is a trench collapse. Without proper shoring and precautions, the trench can cave-in on workers, easily crushing them under tons of dirt and materials. Trenching and excavation are frequently used in utility work and construction.

When you are hurt in a construction accident, whether it’s due to poor supervision or a lack of training, your employer and others in charge can be held responsible. They have a duty to keep you safe, and their failure to do so could result in them covering the costs of your medical bills as well as providing compensation for your pain and suffering.

New Jersey and New York Construction Accident Lawyers

If you are injured on a construction site, contact the New Jersey and New York construction accident attorneys of Ginarte today. We may be able to help you get the compensation you deserve. Call (888) GINARTE now.