The Department of Labor announced on October 21, 2026 that OSHA has cited Always Underground LLC, a Frankfort, Illinois-based utility construction company, for trenching and excavation safety violations, proposing $380,664 in penalties. OSHA opened the inspection under its National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation after investigators observed employees working in an unprotected trench more than eight feet deep. The agency cited the company for three repeat violations: failing to provide workers a safe means of egress, failing to install a protective system against cave-ins, and failing to keep excavated materials and equipment at least two feet from the trench edge. OSHA also cited one serious violation for failing to provide hardhats to protect workers from falling objects. Repeat classifications matter for contractors: they signal OSHA found the same hazards cited before, and they carry substantially higher per-violation maximums than serious citations. The DOL release does not identify the prior citations supporting the repeat classifications. The citations and penalties are proposed, not final. Always Underground has 15 business days from receipt to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. For any crew that opens or works in trenches, the cited items map directly to the controls OSHA emphasized in this case: egress within 25 feet in trenches four feet or deeper, cave-in protection at five feet or more unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock, two-foot setbacks for spoils and equipment, and head protection where falling-object hazards exist.