A worker died clearing dirt from a crawl space under a Texas elementary school, pinned between a mini-excavator and a concrete beam. OSHA’s response landed this month: dozens of violations and more than $299,000 in proposed penalties against the contractor and the staffing agency that supplied labor on the job.
What OSHA found on the job
The investigation at Converse Elementary centered on D L Bandy Constructors and the staffing firm working alongside it. Federal inspectors cited a long list of violations tied to how the confined, low-clearance work was run. Crawl-space jobs combine the worst of two hazard categories: tight space that leaves no room to get clear of moving equipment, and heavy machinery operating inches from workers. When a mini-excavator swings or shifts in that envelope, there’s nowhere to go.
Why staffing agencies keep landing in these cases
The citation naming both the contractor and the staffing agency is the part worth noting. OSHA has leaned into joint-employer enforcement, holding the firm that supplies temporary labor responsible alongside the one directing the work. Staffing agencies that place workers on construction sites can’t treat safety as the host contractor’s problem. If a temp gets hurt, the agency’s name shows up on the citation too.
The dollar figure matters less than the pattern. Excavation and confined-space hazards remain among the deadliest and most-cited in construction, and enforcement hasn’t eased. Even straightforward vertical builds like the Gulf Shores airport terminal start with the same excavation and foundation risks that keep OSHA busy. The agency laid out the citations in detail, and the throughline is old but unforgiving: equipment and people in the same tight space is where crews die. This is a sensitive topic; if you or a coworker is struggling after a jobsite incident, reaching out to a trusted person or a support line can help.