US contractor faces $1.2m OSHA fine after repeat trench safety violations

A US contractor is facing proposed penalties of more than $1.2 million after federal inspectors identified repeat trench safety violations less than two years after a fatal on-site incident.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), concrete and earthworks contractor Sound Construction Inc. was cited for 11 violations following an inspection in Stamford, Connecticut, in June 2025. Inspectors found workers operating inside a trench approximately 10 feet deep without adequate cave-in protection and exposed to multiple additional hazards.

OSHA said the violations were particularly serious given the company’s history. In December 2023, a Sound Construction employee was killed in a trench collapse in New Canaan. The company was initially fined $394,083 for that incident, before reaching a settlement that reduced the penalty to $60,000. As part of the agreement, the contractor committed to enhanced oversight, including providing OSHA with monthly lists of active worksites and allowing random inspections.

During follow-up inspections conducted under that agreement, OSHA reported unsafe practices including excavators operating directly on trench edges, workers positioned beneath unsupported plant, and trench boxes installed incorrectly. In some cases, trench shields were placed several feet below the excavation surface, while additional surcharge loads from excavators increased the risk of collapse.

Inspectors also identified inadequate access and egress, unsafe ladder use, a lack of daily trench inspections and insufficient worker training. OSHA noted that the company had a record of trench safety violations dating back to 2016.

The total proposed penalties amount to $1,224,798. Sound Construction has 15 days to contest the citations.

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