US Department of Labor cites Illinois utility construction company for repeated exposure to trenching hazards

US Department of Labor cites Illinois utility construction company for repeated exposure to trenching hazards CHICAGO – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Frankfort-based utility construction company for repeatedly exposing employees to excavation safety hazards after federal investigators observed employees working in an unprotected trench.The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated an investigation of Always Underground LLC as part of its National Emphasis Program on Trenching after witnessing employees working in an unprotected trench deeper than eight feet.OSHA cited the employer for three repeat violations for failing to provide workers with a safe means of egress, to install a trench protective system that would protect against cave-ins, and to keep excavated or other materials and equipment at least 2 feet from the edge. Additionally, the agency cited the employer for a serious violation for failing to provide workers with protective hardhats ...

Secretary Chavez-DeRemer meets with Teamsters, manufacturers, construction workers as America at Work tour continues

Secretary Chavez-DeRemer meets with Teamsters, manufacturers, construction workers as America at Work tour continues
BEAVERTON, OR – U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer delivered a keynote address at the Teamsters Unity Conference last week in Nevada, where she also visited a training facility for aviation mechanics and held a roundtable with local small business owners. Continuing her promise to tell the story of America at Work, the Secretary then traveled to Oregon, where she toured a high school construction project and met with Daimler Truck North America’s Chief Executive Officer John O’Leary.In her speech to Teamsters last Tuesday, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer highlighted that her father’s experience as a Teamster “meant a paycheck we could count on, a roof over our heads, and a promise that hard work would be respected.” The Secretary concluded her remarks by promising to “push for jobs that pay what you’re worth, for workplaces that keep you safe, and for retirements that let you rest easy after a lifetime of labor.”NEVADASecretary Chavez-DeRemer joins General President Sean O’Brien at the 2025 Teamsters Unity Conference.The Secretary also visited with faculty, staff, and students at the Aviation Maintenance Institute while witnessing their specialized training program in action. Throughout the tour, she learned more about AIM’s effort to educate the next generation of aviation mechanics and to meet growing demand for airplane technicians. Secretary Chavez-DeRemer then held a roundtable discussion with the Nevada Hispanic Business Group, an organization focused on empowering local small businesses. She heard from over a dozen employers about challenges they are facing, including overregulation and other economic barriers to success.OREGONSecretary Chavez-DeRemer wrapped up the week in Oregon, where she visited the headquarters for truck manufacturing company Daimler Truck North America. With seven U.S. manufacturing sites and 17,000 employees, they discussed the importance of putting American manufacturers first and quickly training the workers needed to fill these good-paying jobs. Finally, the Secretary stopped by the construction site for Beaverton’s new high school to receive a progress update from Skanska construction workers and local ironworkers assigned to the project. So far, Ironworkers Local 29 has put in more than 21,000 journeymen hours and 6,900 registered apprentice hours for the project, which began nearly a year ago. Learn more about the Secretary’s listening tour, including her recent stops in Florida and Pennsylvania.

Published at April 21, 2025 at 05:00AM
Read more at https://dol.gov

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Settlement affirms willful OSHA violations, $215K penalties, against contractors for fall hazards at multiple New Jersey work sites

Statement by US Secretary of Labor Su on July jobs report

Proper planning, safeguards could have prevented New Bedford dock collapse, US Department of Labor inspection finds