SAN FRANCISCO -- A construction company whose employee died when the trench he was working in collapsed in San Francisco last year has been cited by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health for safety violations.D'Arcy & Harty Construction Inc. committed 'willful-serious' violations that led to the worker's death on Sept. 28, 2023 and has been fined $371,000, Cal/OSHA officials announced Thursday.
The company was fined for 'failing to provide a protective system for employees working in the trench and for failing to provide a means of escape such as a ladder in case of collapse -- hazards the employer had been warned about weeks before,' according to Cal/OSHA.'Excavations are known hazards and trenches must be evaluated, shored or shielded before workers enter to protect them.