The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Monday it cited a Texas contractor after an 18-year-old worker died in a trench collapse at a work site near Fulshear in September 2023.
OSHA cited Houston-based Hurtado Construction Co. for one willful violation and five serious violations and proposed $257,811 in penalties after the worker died when a 15-foot trench wall collapsed on him.
During the cave-in, the worker was pinned against a reinforced concrete box and covered with tons of dirt, OSHA said.
Hurtado Construction failed to implement adequate protections against trench collapses, the agency said.
The company was cited for similar violations in November 2021, and it had a history of other workplace safety failures dating to January 2007, according to OSHA.
Hurtado Construction has 15 business days to contest the latest citation and proposed penalties.