TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — A construction company in Alexander County has been fined nearly $40,000 after a trench collapse killed a worker in May.
Shane Anthony Sharpe was in the trench when it collapsed and covered him with dirt and asphalt, the Alexander County officials said in May. The worker was being conducted in the parking lot of a diner on Highway 64/90 West in Taylorsville.
After a six-month investigation, the North Carolina Department of Labor issued the fines against Barnes Backhoe and Grading.
In documentation obtained by WCNC Charlotte, the company was facing violations for not properly protecting Sharpe and other workers. The documentation accused the company of not providing a stairway, ladder, ramp, or other means of egress from the trench, which measured 7 feet and 2 inches deep.
The North Carolina Department of Labor documentation also accused the company of not instructing "each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to their work environment to control or eliminate any hazards."
Within minutes of the collapse, firefighters were able to rescue Sharpe from the trench. CPR was administered but attempts to revive Sharpe were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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