OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14347272
ALTMAN CONSTRUCTION CO.
VALDOSTA, GA·
Event description
EMPLOYEES BURIED IN TRENCH CAVE-IN
Investigation abstract
ON SEPTEMBER 19, 1986, AT APPROXIMATELY 1:45 PM, EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE RESUMI NG AN OPERATION TO LAY AN EIGHT-INCH PVC SANITARY SEWER LINE. THE SEWER LINE WAS TO BE PLACED IN A 12 1/2 FEET DEEP BY 3 FEET WIDE TRENCH WHICH HAD BEEN DUG PRI OR TO LUNCH. THE TRENCH BOX THAT WAS IN USE WAS ONLY SEVEN FEET HIGH. IN ADDITIO N, ABOUT AN INCH OF WATER HAD ACCUMULATED IN THE TRENCH DURING LUNCH. THE SOIL I N THE TRENCH WAS CLAY. WHILE EMPLOYEES #1 AND #2 WERE IN THE TRENCH BOX, A PORTI ON OF THE SOUTH WALL OF THE TRENCH CAVED-IN ON THEM. BOTH EMPLOYEES WERE COMPLET ELY BURIED. ONLY EMPLOYEE #2 WAS RESCUED ALIVE. EMPLOYEE #1 WAS ASPHYXIATED.
Victims (2)
-
#1 Fatality Age 21 M
- Nature of injury
- 2
- Part of body
- 4
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 17
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 1
-
#2 Hospitalized Age 21 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 3
- Event type
- 2
- Source
- 42
- Occupation code
- 999
- Human factor
- 17
- Environmental factor
- 13
- Hazardous substance
- 8880
- Task assigned
- 1
Codes shown verbatim from OSHA's accident-investigation database. A human-readable decoder is coming in a future release once the accident_lookup2 dictionary is loaded.