OSHA Cites Business Over Unsafe Naperville Worksite

An Elgin excavation company has been cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after it allegedly left workers unprotected in an underground trench to remove a Naperville sewer line.

OSHA opened an investigation into Kellenberger Plumbing & Underground after receiving a complaint that on March 4 two workers were removing a sewer line in a trench more than eight-feet deep at a workplace under construction at 2708 Showplace Drive in Naperville.

The workers allegedly did not have cave-in protection or a competent person on site to remove employees from a hazardous condition. The business received citations for both incidents.

"An unprotected trench can bury a worker under thousands of pounds of soil in seconds and cause severe or fatal injuries," said Kathy Webb, OSHA's area director at its Calumet City Area Office. "Since 2012, OSHA has now cited Kellenberger Plumbing three times for violating federal trenching standards. The company knows that every trench deeper than 5 feet must have cave-in protection. They are putting their employees in serious danger by ignoring federal safety standards."

OSHA has placed a proposed penalty for both citations at $59,290. Citations were issued to the company May 2. Kellenberger Plumbing & Underground has the right to content the citations.