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Investigation of deadly trench collapse finds Colorado company exposed workers to excavation hazards in Johnstown

- October 21, 2021

Investigation of deadly trench collapse finds Colorado company exposed workers to excavation hazards in Johnstown DENVER – A federal workplace safety investigation that followed a deadly trench collapse in Johnstown on April 16 has concluded a Strasburg excavation contractor failed to take required safety precautions that might have prevented the death of a 50-year-old worker. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined that Dunaway Excavating Inc. allowed employees to work in a 16-foot deep trench amid accumulating water and without protective systems. OSHA inspectors responded to the collapse after one of two workers in the trench became stuck in mud under water. OSHA cited Dunaway Excavating for two willful serious violations for failing to protect workers from accumulating water, not using protective systems, such as a trench box. Additionally, the company was cited for failing to ensure workers had a secure way to exit the trench safely...