Real-World Accident
Excavation Collapse
A 24-year-old worker died when he was buried under a wall of the trench he was working in.
The excavation wall and part of the sidewalk next to the concrete garage floor collapsed onto him while he was attempting to attach the new PVC pipe he had installed to the main sewer. One of the decedent’s coworkers was also caught in the collapse. Firefighters who arrived on the scene were able to extricate the decedent’s coworker from the excavation. He was transported to a hospital and recovered. The decedent’s body was recovered from the excavation approximately 8 hours after the wall collapsed.
For more information on excavation safety be sure to take OSHAcademy course 802 Trench and Excavation Safety.