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Jacksonville, FL — OSHA has cited a Jacksonville company over a worksite collapse that sent an employee to the hospital, and the fines total more than $270,000.

The incident happened last August at a worksite on the Westside, near Herlong Rd and Fouraker Rd. OSHA records say a Jacksonville Utilities Management, Inc. employee was buried by a side wall cave-in, while he was working in a 10-foot deep excavation site.

OSHA issued one serious violation against the company for allowing water to accumulate in the trench, which they say contributed to the collapse. OSHA also issued two willful violations- one for failing to provide structural support to an overhead compromised structure, like a sidewalk, which could create a crush hazard; and one for not having an adequate protective system to protect against cave-ins from walls.

Jacksonville Utilities Management, Inc. had been cited in 2013 for a violation similar to the lack of overhead support. The company had been cited twice in the past for violations similar to the side wall cave-in risk- once in 2013 and once in 2012.

In light of these latest citations, OSHA has added this company to their Severe Violator Enforcement Program. The Department of Labor says this program “concentrates resources on inspecting employers who have demonstrated indifference to their OSH Act obligations by willful, repeated, or failure-to-abate violations”.

The company is still able to request a conference or contest the findings.