OSHA Inspection: VARAS ENERGY OPERATING COMPANY, LLC

Issued

Apr 20, 2026

Penalty

Initial $9,268 · Current $9,268

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.21(b)(2): The employer did not instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to his/her environment to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury:  On or about October 25, 2025, employees working inside a trench approximately 15 feet deep were not instructed in the recognition and avoidance of trenching hazards, including cave-in hazards, protective systems, and safe means of egress, while performing natural gas line repair work.

Issued

Apr 20, 2026

Penalty

Initial $9,268 · Current $9,268

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.651(j)(2): Employees were not protected from excavated or other materials or equipment that posed a hazard by falling or rolling into excavations and protection was not provided by placing and keeping such materials or equipment at least 2 feet (.61 m) from the edge of excavations, or by the use of retaining devices that were sufficient to prevent materials or equipment from falling or rolling into excavations, or by a combination of both if necessary:  On or about October 25, 2025, employees working inside a trench approximately 15 feet deep were exposed to struck-by and cave-in hazards as excavated materials were stored less than 2 feet from the edge of the excavation while performing natural gas line repair work.

Issued

Apr 20, 2026

Penalty

Initial $9,268 · Current $9,268

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.651(k)(1): Daily inspections of excavations, the adjacent areas, and protective systems were not made by a competent person for evidence of a situation that could have resulted in possible cave-ins, indications of failure of protective systems, hazardous atmospheres, or other hazardous conditions:  On or about October 25, 2025, the employer did not ensure an excavation approximately 15 feet deep was inspected by a competent person for evidence of conditions that could result in cave-ins or other hazards prior to employee entry.

Issued

Apr 20, 2026

Penalty

Initial $9,268 · Current $9,268

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.652(a)(1): Each employee in an excavation was not protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system designed in accordance with paragraph (b) or (c) of this section:  On or about October 25, 2025, employees working inside a trench approximately 15 feet deep were not protected from cave-in hazards by an adequate protective system while performing natural gas line repair work.

Issued

Apr 20, 2026

Penalty

Initial $9,268 · Current $9,268

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1926.652(b)(1)(i): Excavations were not sloped at an angle not steeper than one and one-half horizontal to one vertical (34 degrees measured from the horizontal) and no other options listed in paragraph (b) of this section were used:  On or about October 25, 2025, employees working inside a trench approximately 15 feet deep were exposed to cave-in hazards as the excavation was not sloped at an angle not steeper than one and one-half horizontal to one vertical, and no other protective system was used, while performing natural gas line repair work.

Issued

Apr 20, 2026

Penalty

Initial $6,621 · Current $6,621

General-duty citation text

29 CFR  1904.39(a)(2): The employer did not report an in-patient hospitalization, amputation, or loss of an eye as a result of a work-related incident to OSHA within twenty-four (24) hours:  On or about October 25, 2025, the employer did not report an in-patient hospitalization with 24 hours.