Serious safety breaches have been imposed on Louisiana-based contractor RIGID Constructors LLC after a 27-year-old heavy equipment operator drowned at a project in Leland, North Carolina, in August 2024. $50,703 in fines for disregarding safety rules that could have avoided the disaster were suggested by OSHA inspectors.
The drowning happened when a foreman and the equipment operator tried to use an amphibious excavator to move a pump at the water-filled Cell-3 Eagle Island site, according to a recent release. The operator was trapped underwater as the equipment overturned as it was coming out of the water. They could not be rescued by emergency personnel.
According to OSHA’s investigation, RIGID Constructors did not provide or enforce the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) or provide training on how to operate the marsh hoe used during the incident. Additionally, the business failed to supply a skiff for emergency rescues, which is a requirement of federal safety regulations.
“RIGID Constructors’ failure to comply with federal safety and health standards resulted in a preventable tragedy,” OSHA Area Director Kimberley Morton in Raleigh, North Carolina, said in a statement. “Safety cannot be just a marketing slogan or an afterthought; it must be a core commitment. Workplace safety isn’t optional, a privilege for some, or merely a recommendation; it is the law.”
RIGID Constructors, which has its headquarters in Lafayette, Louisiana, employs about 370 people nationwide and specializes in heavy civil and marine construction services. The corporation has 15 working days to either request an informal discussion, comply with OSHA’s conclusions, or challenge the citations before an impartial panel.
