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New inspection blitz to target the big jump in excavation deaths

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Heads up: Safety regulators are looking to hammer employers that expose their workers to excavation hazards.

A recently unveiled inspection blitz from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the agency’s response to a big increase in the number of U.S. employees suffering fatal injuries in trench mishaps. For the first six months of 2022, according to OSHA, 22 crew members died in excavation incidents; in all of 2021, 15 employees were killed in trenches.

The enforcement initiative means OSHA officials will conduct 1,000 additional excavation-related inspections. And OSHA says many more employers are likely to get hit with criminal penalties following trench fatalities.

(From the Aug. 8, 2022, issue of Safety Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)