Concrete firm cited after trench collapse injures employee

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Wednesday that it has cited Langston Concrete Inc. for failing to protect its workers from trench collapse hazards, with proposed penalties of $90,535.

OSHA cited the Colorado Springs, Colorado-based company for not removing employees from a hazardous work area, and for failing to install cave-in protection after a trench collapsed on four employees in December. One employee was buried and suffered a broken hip and thighbone. Three other employees were partially covered, but uninjured, OSHA said in a statement.

“This trench collapse, and the injuries it caused, could have been prevented if the employer had used required cave-in protection,” David Nelson, OSHA’s area office director in Englewood, Colorado, said the statement.

Langston Concrete could not be immediately reached for comment.