ACCIDENT SUMMARY No. 41
| Accident Type: |
Trench Cave-In |
 |
| Weather Conditions: |
Clear |
| Type of Operation: |
Mechanical Contractor |
| Size of Work Crew: |
4 |
| Collective Bargaining |
Yes |
| Competent Safety Monitor on Site: |
Yes |
| Safety and Health Program in Effect: |
Yes |
| Was the Worksite Inspected Regularly: |
Yes |
| Training and Education Provided: |
No |
| Employee Job Title: |
Plumber; Laborer |
| Age & Sex: |
49-Male; 39-Male |
| Experience at this Type of Work: |
10 Years; 2 Years |
| Time on Project: |
2 Days |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCIDENT
Four employees of a mechanical contractor were laying a lateral sewer line at a building site. The foreman, a plumber by trade, and a laborer were laying an eight-inch, 20-foot long plastic sewer pipe in the bottom of a trench 36 inches wide, nine feet deep, and approximately 50 feet long. The trench was neither sloped nor shored, and there was water entering it along a shale seam near the bottom. The west side of the trench caved in near the bottom, burying one employee to his chest and completely covering the other. Rescue operations took two and five hours - too late to save the men.
INSPECTION RESULTS
Following its inspection, OSHA cited the employer for one serious violation and one repeat violation of its construction standards. Had the regulation requiring sloping or shoring of the trench been followed, these men would have been protected against possible collapse of the trench.
ACCIDENT PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS
- Employers must instruct employees to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions associated with their work [29 CFR 1926.21(b)(1)].
- Sides of trenches in unstable or soft material more than 5 feet in depth must be shored, braced, sloped, or otherwise supported to protect employees working within them [29 CFR 1926.652(b)].
SOURCES OF HELP
- OSHA General Industry Standards [CFR parts 1900-1910] and OSHA Construction Standards [CFR Part 1926] which together include all OSHA job safety and health rules and regulations covering construction.
- OSHA-funded free consultation services. Consult your telephone directory for the number of your local OSHA area or regional office for further assistance and advice (listed under U.S. Labor Department or under the state government where states administer their own OSHA programs).
- OSHA Safety and Health Training Guidelines for Construction (available from the National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161; 703/487-4650; Order No. PB-239-312/AS): a set of 15 guidelines to help construction employees establish a training program in the safe use of equipment, tools, and machinery on the job.
NOTE: The case here described was selected as being representative of fatalities caused by improper work practices. No special emphasis or priority is implied nor is the case necessarily a recent occurrence. The legal aspects of the incident have been resolved, and the case is now closed.
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