SEATTLE — A Seattle contractor was fined more than $50,000 for safety violations that the state Department of Labor and Industries said led to the death of a construction worker in January.
L&I cited Alki Construction LLC for one willful violation, five serious and one general in connection with the death on Jan. 26. The fines total $51,500.
Construction worker Harold Felton, 36, was killed when the dirt walls of the trench he was working in collapsed and buried him.
Rescuers were unable to dig him out in time to save his life.
The company had dug trenches next to a West Seattle home off 36th Avenue Southwest to replace a sewer line. The trench where the worker died was 7 feet deep and just under 2 feet wide.
There was no system in place to prevent all sides from caving in.
According to L&I, excavation and trenching are among the most hazardous construction jobs. One cubic yard of soil can weigh as much as a car and dirt walls can collapse suddenly without any warning, burying the victims instantly.
Alki Construction was cited for a “willful” violation with a penalty of $35,000 for not ensuring that trenches and excavations four-feet deep or more had a protective system in place to prevent the dirt sides from caving in.
The company was also cited for five serious violations:
- Alki Construction did not have a formal accident prevention program tailored to the needs of the operation and the type of hazards involved in trenching and excavation work ($3,500).· There was no ladder, ramp or other safe means of exiting the excavated trench ($3,500).
- Sidewalks and structures that were undermined were not supported to protect employees from possible collapse ($3,000).
- Excavated dirt and other materials were placed less than two feet from the edge of the unprotected trench, where they could fall into the trench where employees were working ($3,000).
- There were no daily inspections of the excavations to monitor changing soil conditions ($3,500).
One general violation was cited for not ensuring walk-around safety inspections were documented.
A willful violation is one where L&I finds evidence of plain indifference or an intentional disregard to a hazard or rule. A serious violation is one where there is a substantial probability that worker death or serious physical harm could result from a hazardous condition.
As a result of the violations, Alki Construction has been identified as a severe violator and is subject to follow-up inspections to determine if the conditions still exist.
Cox Media Group
