A Colorado contractor who was cited by safety regulators last summer after a teenage worker died after being struck by a chunk of asphalt at an excavation site has once again been cited by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
OSHA on Wednesday announced a citation against Commerce City-based GoldStar Excavation and Sewer after investigators said the company once again exposed employees to trenching hazards at an excavation project in Fort Collins in March.
One of the workers reportedly exposed to the dangers was a foreman who had also been injured on Aug. 13, 2022, at the site of the teen worker fatality, which had led to $15,625 in proposed penalties.
In the latest case, OSHA cited the company for willful violations for exposing employees to cave-ins and failing to train workers to recognize trenching hazards. This time, the company was issued proposed penalties of $206,698.
OSHA also placed the company into its Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
The family company, which provides water and sewer line services, has 15 days to contest the latest citation and penalties.