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Safety Incidents OSHA Severe Injury Reports · 2015–2025

OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #14505796

BURIED,TRENCH,SHORING,UNSTABLE SOIL,SLOPING,WORK RULES,CAVE-IN,FRACTURE,PINNED,CONSTRUCTION

Event
BURIED,TRENCH,SHORING,UNSTABLE SOIL,SLOPING,WORK RULES,CAVE-IN,FRACTURE,PINNED,CONSTRUCTION
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14505796
Report ID
728500

Event description

Two employees killed in trench cave-in

Investigation abstract

At approximately 10:10 a.m. on April 3, 1990, Employees #1 and #2 were carrying a 20 ft length of 6 in. PVC pipe along a 36 ft long by 2 ft wide by 9 1/2 ft dee p trench. A 16 ft section of the east side of the trench, from the south end to a backhoe, caved in. Both employees were pinned against the west bank and comple tely buried. They sustained multiple fractures and were killed. The trench, whic h had been dug in 10 1/2 ft of fill dirt, was not shored, benched, or sloped.

Victims (7)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 42 M

    Nature of injury
    12
    Part of body
    5
    Event type
    1
    Source
    12
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    13
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #2 Fatality Age 32 M

    Nature of injury
    12
    Part of body
    5
    Event type
    1
    Source
    12
    Occupation code
    999
    Human factor
    14
    Environmental factor
    13
    Task assigned
    2

  3. #981 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

  4. #982 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

  5. #983 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

  6. #984 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

  7. #985 Degree 0 Age 0

    Nature of injury
    0
    Part of body
    0
    Event type
    0
    Source
    0
    Occupation code
    0
    Human factor
    0
    Environmental factor
    0
    Task assigned
    0

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