An Alabama contractor faces proposed penalties of $170,145 following a trench collapse in August.

The latest penalties bring the total proposed fines issued against U.S. contractors since December to nearly $2 million.

The proposed violations for CB&A Construction LLC based in Birmingham, Alabama, follow a trench collapse August 8 in Bessemer, according to OSHA. Workers were removing and installing drainpipes for Jefferson County.

OSHA says its investigator observed the following conditions:

• Inadequate cave-in protection.
• Workers under a suspended load.
• Workers not wearing hard hats.
• Workers at the edge of the unprotected trench.

No further details about the violations were provided. CB&A has 15 days to appeal.

Recent Trench Fines Total Over $1.8M

Contractors in Connecticut and Washington were also fined recently for trench violations, with proposed penalties totaling over $1.8 million: