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OSHA Issues Safety Citations Following Investigation Into Fatal Ohio Trench Collapse
Just the facts
Federal safety regulators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Whispering Creek LLC for five safety violations following an eight-foot-deep trench collapse in Milford, Ohio. The December 5 collapse killed 28-year-old worker Jose Alberto Barajas Martinez and injured two other workers, including Martinez's father, Jaime Barajas. OSHA reported that company owner David Baumgardner instructed workers to enter the excavation without required cave-in protection systems such as trench boxes. Regulators initially assessed $231,714 in fines, which were later reduced to $49,000 as local prosecutors evaluate potential criminal charges.
Why this is news
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited landscaping firm Whispering Creek LLC for safety violations after a fatal excavation collapse in Milford, Ohio.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.