105,313Records 71,083Employers 85,290Hospitalizations 27,770Amputations 2015-01-01 2025-10-31
Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14387385

TRENCH BOX,WORK RULES,CONSTRUCTION,TRENCH,CRUSHED,SHORING,SLOPING,CAVE-IN

Event
TRENCH BOX,WORK RULES,CONSTRUCTION,TRENCH,CRUSHED,SHORING,SLOPING,CAVE-IN
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14387385
Report ID
524200

Event description

Foreman killed in trench cave-in

Investigation abstract

Employee #1, a foreman for an underground construction contractor, entered an ap proximately 18 ft deep by 20 ft long by 5 to 6 ft wide trench to line up an 8 in . diameter cast iron sewer pipe. He instructed a coworker to watch from the top for any movement in the excavation's unshored, near-vertical walls. The trench c aved in and Employee #1 was crushed and killed. A trench box was available at th e job site but was not in use. A citation was issued for willful violation of 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(1), 20(b)(2) and 21(b)(2) and 29CFR 1926.65(i)(1) and 652(c), ser ious.

Victim

  1. #1 Fatality Age 38 M

    Nature of injury
    21
    Part of body
    4
    Event type
    14
    Source
    12
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    4
    Environmental factor
    18
    Task assigned
    1

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