Cave-ins Highlight Need for OSHA 10, OSHA 30

Cave-in during excavation. It’s been said many times in many different forums—including at OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 training—that it’s easily preventable. But tragically it remains the leading cause of worker deaths in the United States. 

At a Wisconsin excavation site no deaths occurred, but serious violations were committed by a Manitowoc utility contractor to merit citations from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The contractor, the Vinton Construction Co., was cited for one willful and four serious safety violations for failing to protect workers from possible cave-ins while installing water main lines. OSHA has proposed penalties of $95,040. Vinton Construction Co. had been inspected at other times before by OSHA and had been found in violation of trenching and excavation standards.

"Safety should be paramount on every job site,” said George Yoksas, OSHA area director in Milwaukee.  “And OSHA is committed to protecting workers, especially when employers fail to do so."

OSHA 10 training and OSHA 30 course program are major focuses at OSHAcampus.com, a top provider of online OSHA training programs. OSHA 10 teaches entry-level workers about their rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint; it also teaches them how to identify, lessen, avoid, and prevent hazards in construction. OSHA 30, on the hand, introduces and explains to safety directors, foremen, and field supervisors all OSHA compliance issues.