Abstract: At 1:30 p.m. on July 9, 2019, an employee working as a carpenter for a general framing contractor was framing a residential home. The employee had been employed by the contractor for approximately 35 years. The employee started with the employer as an apprentice carpenter and worked his way up to a foreman. The employee worked at remote sites Monday through Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and travelled home on weekends. The employee reported to both the employer and the general contractor each day. The employee was the only worker from his employer onsite. The employee was assigned to complete the pick-up work around the residence and was expected to complete the job within the next day or so. When the employee completed his work for the day he began to pack up and move all of the tools from the jobsite to the company vehicles parked on the other side of a trench. The trench was excavated for the installation of a gas line which ran in front of the home. The trench was approximately 18 inches wide and 30 inches deep and ran across the entire front portion of the jobsite. The contractor had placed a trench plate across the trench in front of the garage for the workers to cross over the trench safely. After returning some tools to the truck, the employee returned to the jobsite get a RIDGID 5-gallon portable air compressor that was staged on the side of the house. The employee was pushing the compressor next to the trench. The employee pushed the compressor from the side of the house down to the trench then proceeded to push the compressor right next to the trench heading towards the trench plate to cross over the trench. While walking along the side of the trench, the employee lost his footing and his knees buckled causing him to fall into the trench. The employee fractured his upper left leg and was hospitalized for treatment. He also underwent surgery.