Safety News: Week of November 2

This week, trench and struck-by enforcement, new overdose-response guidance, and a finished standard for mobile robots all point to the same lesson: the controls that prevent the worst outcomes are the ones crews have to get right before work starts.

Repeat trench failures draw a $380,664 penalty in Illinois

Federal inspectors cited Frankfort, Illinois-based Always Underground LLC for $380,664 in proposed penalties after finding workers in a trench deeper than eight feet with no cave-in protection. The inspection grew out of OSHA’s national emphasis program on trenching, after investigators watched the crew working in the unprotected excavation. OSHA issued three repeat citations for missing a safe way out of the trench, missing cave-in protection, and keeping excavated material and equipment closer than two feet to the edge, plus a serious citation for missing hard-hat protection against falling objects. Repeat means the agency had cited the same kinds of failures before, which is why the penalty is so large. The takeaway for any foreman is blunt: no worker goes into a trench deeper than five feet without a protective system, a ladder or other exit close at hand, and spoil kept back, and if you want a refresher on those rules, take a look at our excavation and trench safety training. EHS Leaders summarized the agency’s announcement in its October 28 report.

A rotating drill string turns fatal in Florida

Orlando pipeline contractor T&T Pipeline Co. Inc. faces $165,514 in proposed penalties after a worker died while crews were changing the bit on a horizontal directional drill, according to OSHA. Lea Marshall Brunson, 61, of Orlando, was struck in the head on March 17 at an underground drilling site near State Road 415 and Pioneer Trail in New Smyrna Beach, when the drill’s pipe stem began to rotate during the bit change. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said torque buildup spun the drill shank, broke a chain wrench free, and drove it into Brunson, denting his hard hat and causing fatal injuries. OSHA cited the company on September 14 for willfully exposing workers to struck-by hazards, and the company is contesting the citation and penalty. The lesson is to treat any rotating drill string as stored energy: confirm rotation has stopped, control torque, and keep everyone out of the line of fire before hands go near the tooling. Machinery Asia reported the citation on October 28.

OSHA issues overdose-response guidance for workplaces

OSHA has released a new fact sheet, “Opioid Overdose Rescue with Reversal Medications,” to help workplaces respond when a coworker overdoses on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 410 fatal work injuries involving drug or alcohol overdose in 2024, the most recent year with published figures, so this is not a rare, off-site problem. The guidance urges employers to keep FDA-approved reversal medicines such as naloxone or nalmefene on hand, store them where everyone can find them quickly, and train workers to spot slow or stopped breathing, blue lips or skin, pinpoint pupils, and unresponsiveness. It also stresses calling 911 right away, since reversal medicine wears off and professional care is still needed. A National Safety Council employer survey cited in the coverage found only 28 percent of respondents stocked naloxone at their worksites, which leaves a clear gap to close before an emergency, not during one. Roofing Contractor covered the new guidance on October 29.

New standard covers mobile robots after they go live

The Association for Advancing Automation has released ANSI/A3 R15.08-3-2026, the final part of a three-part safety standard for industrial mobile robots, which are the self-driving machines now moving materials in warehouses and plants. Part 3 speaks directly to users, not just designers, covering risk assessment, management of change, worker training, and periodic reviews and inspections through the life of the application. That matters because a robot that passed its first commissioning test can become unsafe when a layout changes, a pallet buffer moves, or a new rule changes traffic around it. The standard was developed alongside Part 3 of the industrial robot safety standard so fixed and mobile robot systems get consistent treatment for continued operation. If your site runs mobile robots, treat this release as a prompt to review who owns risk assessment after go-live and how changes get approved before the robot meets a changed floor. ISHN reported the release on October 28.

Need help turning any of this into training or a written program for your crew? Contact us through 1stamericansafety.com.

Sources: EHS Leaders reported the Always Underground trench citations. Machinery Asia reported the T&T Pipeline citation. Roofing Contractor covered OSHA’s opioid overdose guidance. ISHN reported the new industrial mobile robot standard.