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 #14557896

SHORING,STRUCK BY,SLOPING,WORK RULES,CAVE-IN,CONSTRUCTION,TRENCH,CRUSHED,CONCRETE PIPE

Event
SHORING,STRUCK BY,SLOPING,WORK RULES,CAVE-IN,CONSTRUCTION,TRENCH,CRUSHED,CONCRETE PIPE
Linked inspection
No inspection record linked to this accident's victims.
Summary number
14557896
Report ID
653510

Event description

TRENCH CAVED IN, KILLING TWO EMPLOYEES AND INJURING ONE

Investigation abstract

THREE PIPELAYERS WERE WORKING INSIDE A FIVE FOOT HIGH TRENCH BOX WHICH WAS LOCAT ED CLIMBING OUT OF THE TRENCH, BUT RECEIVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. HE WAS TREATED AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL AND RELEASED. ED IN A 14 FOOT DEEP TRENCH. THEY HAD COMPLETED LAYING A 24 INCH WIDE EFFLUENT S EWAGE PIPE, AND WERE PREPARING PREPARING TO INSTALL ANOTHER. AS THE PIPE WAS BEI NG LOWERED BY A TRUCK MOUNTED CRANE, THE SPOILS PILE SUDDENLY COLLAPSED AND SOME OF THE DIRT FELL INTO THE TRENCH BOX. THE SIDE OF THE TRENCH ALSO BROKE LOOSE. ONE END OF THE PIPE BEING LOWERED WAS STRUCK BY THE COLLAPSING MATERIAL, CAUSING THE OTHER END TO SWING AROUND AND STRIKE EMPLOYEE #1 (THE FOREMAN). HE WAS CRUS HED AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE TRENCH BOX AND KILLED INSTANTLY. EMPLOYEE #2 WAS CRU SHED BY THE FALLING MATERIAL AND LATER DIED AT A HOSPITAL. EMPLOYEE #3 WAS TRAPP

Victims (6)

  1. #1 Fatality Age 50 M

    Nature of injury
    12
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    2
    Source
    12
    Occupation code
    587
    Human factor
    11
    Environmental factor
    8
    Task assigned
    1

  2. #2 Fatality Age 50 M

    Nature of injury
    12
    Part of body
    19
    Event type
    2
    Source
    12
    Occupation code
    587
    Human factor
    11
    Environmental factor
    8
    Task assigned
    1

  3. #3 Hospitalized Age 51 M

    Nature of injury
    20
    Part of body
    3
    Event type
    2
    Source
    12
    Occupation code
    587
    Human factor
    11
    Environmental factor
    8
    Task assigned
    1

  4. #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

  5. #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

  6. #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

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.

← Back to accident search