Trench Collapse In Hoover Results In Citations For 2 Companies

HOOVER, AL — Two men died on a job site in Hoover last summer when a trench collapsed, burying both of them. After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Health and Safety Administration, two Alabama companies have been cited and fined in the incident.

The incident occurred July 23 on Twin Pine Circle, just across Preserve Parkway from The Grove. An 8-foot trench collapsed, killing Gaspar Manueal-Pedro, 46, and 28-year-old Matias Gaspar-Lopez. Both men lived in Birmingham and were from Guatemala.

A report by OSHA said OLA Inc. and Calloway Inc. — both Alabama companies — were cited "for exposing employees to excavation hazards." OSHA's investigation revealed the companies allowed workers to work on the site without hardhats.

The companies have been fined $88,482.