A worker was hospitalized after an excavation collapse in Alvin, Texas, and now his employer faces proposed penalties of $343,797, including repeat violations occurring since 2019.
Blazey Construction Services LLC of Houston was installing residential sewer and water pipes January 8 when the cave-in occurred. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the contractor failed to adequately protect the excavation from collapse, provide a safe way to exit and report the worker’s hospitalization within 24 hours.
On July 15, OSHA issued two repeat violations for the failure to provide cave-in protection and safe exit and one other-than-serious violation for failing to report the hospitalization within the required time limit.
History of Violations
OSHA records show Blazey has a history of excavation violations over the past seven years:
- March 26, 2025, Cypress, Texas — Employees were installing a sanitary sewer in an excavation without a safe way to exit. Serious violation, $12,476 fine.
- December 20, 2023, Willis, Texas — Employees were working in an excavation without adequate cave-in protection and with a ladder not properly installed. Repeat and other than serious, $53,384.
- March 31, 2021, Spring, Texas — Employees were working in an excavation without adequate cave-in protection and no safe way to exit. They were also exposed to struck-by hazards by an excavator was less than 2 feet from the edge. Two repeat and one serious, $29,438.
- December 13, 2019, Tomball, Texas — Employees installing a concrete manhole in an excavation had no safe means of exit and were exposed to a struck-by hazard when placing the manhole using an excavator with a missing safety latch on the hook. Serious and other than serious, $11,669.
