OSHA fines El Paso contractor in deadly trench collapse, citing repeated safety lapses

(UI) — An El Paso contractor could have prevented the fatal injuries of an employee in February 2024 by adhering to federally mandated safety standards, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

OSHA determined that CMD Endeavors Inc. failed to provide a proper protective system for a pipe layer working in an excavation. As a result, a trench collapsed, causing a piece of asphalt to fall and severely injure the worker, who later died in a hospital.

CMD Endeavors has been cited six times since 2015 for similar violations. The City of El Paso had contracted the company for the Cedar Grove Waterline Replacement project, part of a citywide initiative.

"Despite repeated citations and warnings about the dangers of unprotected trenches, CMD Endeavors has ignored the hazards for nearly a decade, and now an employee has lost their life," said OSHA Area Director Diego Alvarado, Jr. in El Paso, Texas.

OSHA issued citations for one willful, one serious, and two repeat violations, including failures to prevent trench cave-ins, stop nearby materials from falling into the trench, ensure a trench exit within 25 feet, and support adjacent pavement. The company faces $260,848 in proposed penalties.

CMD Endeavors, established in 2009, provides heavy construction, earthwork, site-work, and water and wastewater utility infrastructure projects in West Texas and Southern New Mexico. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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