Manchester contractor faces $375k in fines after deadly construction accident

VERNON, CT (WFSB) – A Manchester contractor is facing $375,021 in fines after a worker died at a construction site in Vernon last year.

The U.S. Department of Labor said the incident happened on July 22, 2022, at a job site for a new housing development off Bolton Branch Road.

A worker for Botticello Inc. died when a trench caved in, officials said. He was then buried by dirt.

Officials said the man was freed and taken to Manchester Hospital, where he later died.

Upon investigation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found Botticello Inc. exposed the employee to deadly hazards, officials said.

“Previously, in November 2015, OSHA inspectors identified four serious violations related to trenching work by Botticello Inc. at a Stafford worksite,” said the U.S. Department of Labor.

OSHA said Botticello Inc. failed to:

Provide the trench with a protective system to prevent it from collapsing and caving in on workers.
Have a competent person conduct inspections before and during the work to identify and correct any hazardous conditions before employees entered the trench.
Ensure the 135-foot-long trench contained sufficient means of egress to allow employees to safely exit.

OSHA proposed $375,021 in fines for the violations.

“This deadly cave-in and the worker’s death should never have happened. After a previous OSHA inspection, Botticello Inc. knew of the dangers of working in an unprotected trench and the need to inspect the trench and ensure required effective cave-in protection was in place before any employee entered the trench. The company, however, still chose to ignore these required safeguards and now a worker’s family, friends and co-workers are left to grieve,” said OSHA Area Director Dale Varney in Hartford.