OSHA Accident Investigation · Summary #954552
R.B.H. PLUMBING CO.
NORFOLK, VA·
Event description
Employee's collarbone fractured in trench cave-in
Investigation abstract
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on May 22, 1989, Employee #1 was using a shovel to g rade the base of a trench, which measured 150 ft long, 17 in. wide, and 6 ft dee p. The sides were vertical. The area at the west side of the trench had been exc avated and backfilled for the installation of a natural gas line. The gas line h ad been installed three days earlier on May 19, 1989. While Employee #1 was work ing in the trench, its west side caved in, covering him to the top of his head. Employee #1 was rescued from the trench and hospitalized with a broken collarbon e.
Victim
-
#1 Hospitalized Age 29 Male
- Nature of injury
- Fracture (12)
- Part of body
- SHOULDER (21)
- Accident type
- CAUGHT IN OR BETWEEN (2)
- Source of injury
- DIRT/SAND/STONE (12)
- Occupation
- Occupation not reported (999)
- Human factor
- MISJUDGMENT, HAZ. SITUATION (1)
- Environmental factor
- OVERHEAD MOVING/FALLING OBJ AC (6)
- Task assigned
- Task regularly assigned (1)
Labels are OSHA's own, from the code dictionary published with the accident-investigation file. The raw code is shown beside each one so this page can be reconciled against OSHA's bulk data. OSHA notes that nature of injury, part of body, source of injury and accident type in this file are not coded to the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System, and that the occupation titles are not standardised — so these values are not directly comparable with the OIICS-coded severe injury reports.