Frisco company accused of violating OSHA standards in workplace fatality
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — A Frisco-based utility contractor faces over $100,000 in proposed penalties after a worker allegedly died on a job due to workplace safety violations.
The Department of Labor announced Thursday afternoon that their investigation into Bandera Utility Contractor Inc, of Frisco, found that the company had allegedly allowed two workers to enter a trench without any system in place to protect them.
The incident that sparked the investigation happened on June 24, 2022, when one of the company's employees reported a fatality at a construction site in McKinney.
Two workers were digging a trench to repair a main sewer line but, OSHA alleges, Bandera did not have proper safeguards in place to protect them while working. The trench collapsed, killing one of the workers. The other was able to escape.
OSHA also contends that Bandera used a damaged ladder that did not meet standards and that it failed to inspect the trench at the start of each shift before allowing workers to enter. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, trench collapses are one of the leading causes of death among the construction industry, accounting for 166 deaths between 2011 and 2018.
These allegations are not necessarily final; Bandera has 15 days to either comply with the findings and pay the proposed amount of money, request an informal meeting with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings in front of the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
