Crime & Safety
RI Contractors Cited For Serious Safety Hazards | Patch PM
Also: East Providence man charged in DUI crash into house | Traffic on Pell Bridge nearly back to 2019 levels | more.
Welcome to Patch PM, on this first day back after the long holiday weekend. Here's a look at the headlines you may have missed around Rhode Island today.
Today's top story
Two Rhode Island contractors were fined close to $75,000 for unsafe working conditions in a Warwick sewer installation project in July. The companies were Reyes Landscaping Inc., also known as Reyes Landscaping & Masonry, in Johnston and TRD Contracting LLC in Greenville.
Robert Sesito, the area director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said that "an unprotected trench can be an early grave."
Find out what's happening in Narragansett-South Kingstownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Along with the unsafe trench construction, the inspector also found that the employer allowed removed soil to build up at the edge, which allowed some to fall back into the trench. Several other safety hazards were identified as well: the lack of inspection by a "competent person" before work began, no helmets to protect employees from falling objects, the use of an inadequate ladder to enter and exit the trench and the use of an uninspected, unlabeled chain to lift objects.
Find out what's happening in Narragansett-South Kingstownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Picture this
Rhode Island’s nonprofits have been crucial to our COVID-19 response — we must ensure they get the support they need. Today, I was joined by @RIFoundation to announce $4.5M in grants for nonprofits on the frontlines of the pandemic. Learn more and apply: https://t.co/3PjNdoXFJP pic.twitter.com/6gw5yaROx2
— Governor Dan McKee (@GovDanMcKee) November 29, 2021
Nonprofit organizations can apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding, Gov. Dan McKee announced Monday. The $4.5 million will be distributed in partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation.
Monday's other headlines
- Pell Bridge Traffic Nearly Back To Pre-Pandemic Levels: In October, more than 922,000 vehicles crossed the bridge, nearly as many as the same month in 2019.
- Tips For Safe Christmas Tree Transportation In Rhode Island 2021: Follow these tips from AAA Northeast to get your Christmas tree without damaging it or your vehicle.
- East Providence Man Charged In Drunken Crash Into House: The crash caused a natural gas leak, which forced residents to evacuate.
- 2 From RI Facing 36 Felony Charges After Gun Trafficking Arrests: Authorities said Brian Watson, 33, and Zaira Lozada, 32, for two years trafficked guns throughout the Pawtucket area.
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