OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14234074
C & M CONSTRUCTION
CHICKASHA, OK·
Event description
EMPLOYEE KILLED IN TRENCH CAVE IN
Investigation abstract
On March 13, 1989, workers were laying an 8 inch polyvinyl chloride sewer line i he soil. It has been determined that the sides of the trench were not sloped pro perly. n a trench section 26 foot long by 12 foot deep by 30 inches wide at the bottom by 20 foot wide at the top. Employee #1 entered the trench in order to seal a pi pe joint at the bottom of the trench. While in the trench, a section of the west wall near the bottom of the trench kicked out, burying Employee #1 up to his kn ees. Approximately two seconds later, a large section of the west wall caved off completely, burying Employee #1. By the time Employee #1 was freed, there were no vital signs. It should be noted that there was no shoring, sheeting, trench b oxes or equipment as means of protection in use because of the sandy nature of t
Victim
-
#1 Fatality Age 39 Male
- Nature of injury
- Asphyxia (2)
- Part of body
- CHEST (5)
- Accident type
- STRUCK BY (1)
- Source of injury
- DIRT/SAND/STONE (12)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- EQUIP. INAPPROPR FOR OPERATION (6)
- Environmental factor
- OVERHEAD MOVING/FALLING OBJ AC (6)
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.