Two Construction Companies Fined $85,000 for Trench Collapse

Two workers were in a trench installing a sewer main at a construction project when part of the excavation collapsed. One of the workers suffered broken bones.  An MOL investigation found that the trench hadn’t been reinforced by an appropriate support system. The construction company was convicted, as an employer, of letting workers enter an excavation that wasn’t compliant with the construction regulations and was fined $50,000. The constructor was convicted of the same offense and fined $35,000 [Basecrete Inc. and Westin Homes Ltd., Govt. News Release, Sept. 21, 2012].