OSHA Fines Missouri Construction Company for Safety Violations

A St. Louis County construction company faces more than $100,000 in fines after a federal agency investigating a serious workplace injury found multiple safety violations.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it found 11 workplace violations at Gershenson Construction Company of Fenton. The U.S. Department of Labor agency investigated the company after a construction worker was hit by a partially suspended load of sewer pipe and fell into a 13-foot trench, suffering a broken vertebra.

OSHA has proposed a total of $110,400 in fines. The agency says the trench in which the injured worker fell lacked required safeguards to prevent the walls from caving in. The company has 15 days to contest the citations and proposed penalties. Owner Ed Gershenson did not immediately respond to an interview request.