Federal report: Deadly Punta Gorda trench...

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Federal investigators concluded that a deadly trench collapse in Punta Gorda three years ago could have been prevented if the construction company had implemented proper safety systems.

Two construction workers were killed in May 2022 when the 7-foot trench they were working in caved in. The men were installing a water main pipe along Burnt Store Road.

According to recently released documents obtained by FOX 4, Guymann Construction out of Cape Coral was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for exposing workers to cave-in hazards without a protective system in place. The company was fined more than $155,000.

OSHA said in the report that a 7-foot trench, like the one the men were working in, requires the use of cave-in protection, but it wasn't used. OSHA also said the construction workers never received trench training.

"The deadly incident could have been prevented if the employer had utilized a protective system to prevent soil cave-ins and employees had been properly trained in excavation and trenching hazards," OSHA said.

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