Excavation Safety Fine Upheld for Texas Construction Company

Angel Brothers Enterprises Ltd. was properly fined $35,000 for failing to enforce excavation safety standards at a Texas construction site, the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission ruled.

During the installation of a concrete drainage pipe in LaPorte, Texas, in December 2015, a safety inspector from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that an Angel Brothers employee worked in an excavation without the safety protections a company manager had called for the previous day.

The company’s failure to adequately enforce safety rules—which couldn’t be attributed to employee misconduct—supported an administrative law judge’s assessment of the fine, the commission said. ...