OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #821124
SEWER,CONSTRUCTION,TRENCH,UNSTABLE SOIL,SLOPING,CAVE-IN,CONTUSION
Event description
CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYEE CAUGHT IN SEWER TRENCH CAVE-IN
Investigation abstract
EMPLOYEE #1 WAS INSTALLING AND LEVELING A 15 INCH DIAMETER PVC SEWER LINE IN A T RENCH. THE TRENCH WAS 5 1/2 FEET DEEP AND 4 TO 5 FEET WIDE AT THE BOTTOM, 8 TO 1 2 FEET WIDE AT THE TOP AND 20 FEET IN LENGTH. THE EMPLOYER HAD BENCHED THE TRENC H 2 TO 3 FEET HIGH AND SLOPED IT THE REST OF THE WAY UP TO THE SURROUNDING GRADE . THE BENCH CAVED IN, COVERING THE EMPLOYEE TO HIS THIGHS. HE WAS DUG OUT BY HAN D, RECEIVEING ONLY BRUISES FROM THE ACCIDENT. THE TRENCH WAS 15 FEET AWAY AND DO WNGRADE FROM THE EXISTING SEWER LINE. THE EXISTING SEWER LINE WAS LEAKING SEVERE LY NEAR THE AREA OF THE CAVE-IN, UNDERMINING THE SOIL IN THE TRENCH.
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 31 M
- Nature of injury
- 3
- Part of body
- 16
- Event type
- 14
- Source
- 12
- Occupation code
- 869
- Human factor
- 14
- Environmental factor
- 18
- 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.