Varas Energy Operating Company, LLC

An employee was working in a trench that was 3.5 feet deep when soil fell and hit them, resulting in an injury to their pelvis. The employee was hospitalized.

An employee went to verify whether the pipe boxes inside a trench contained water. He entered the trench and went to clean the boxes. A wall of dirt collapsed and struck him on the back. He was partially buried up to his hips. His left leg was completely stuck, and the dirt remained pressing against his back. The employee was hospitalized with a sprained left ankle and back pain.

An employee was digging in an excavation less than five feet deep to locate existing underground utilities. Side wall shear occurred in the excavation and the employee was struck by loose pieces of asphalt pavement and soil in the lower half of their body. The employee sustained a fractured pelvis.

On July 30, 2025, at approximately 8:30 AM, an employee was installing a storm drain pipe in a trench that was approximately 14 feet deep. While working near the edge of the trench, the employee exited the trench box. A section of the trench wall collapsed, striking the employee and causing him to fall into an adjacent manhole box within the trench. The employee sustained a dislocated shoulder and a fractured femur.

Employees were working to apply sealant to a customer's leaking foundation. The injured employee was digging out dirt and passing it to another worker. The hole that was being dug collapsed and the injured employee became trapped in dirt/mud from the waist down. The employee sustained a fractured pelvis.