Abstract: On March 1, 1989, workers were laying a 12 in. ductile iron water main in a trench 5 to 5 1/2 ft deep, in the roadway of a paved road. The backhoe had just finished digging and was preparing to hoist the next pipe joint. A small compactor was in the trench, compacting soil over the last two lengths of pipe laid. The trench was parallel to an existing sewer line. Employee #1 and a coworker were in the trench preparing to lay a third pipe. Employee #1, a pipelayer, was using a shovel to level grade the trench bottom. At about 9:30 a.m., soil fell from under pavement along the west wall of the trench (the sewer line side). Employee #1 saw it coming and ran in the direction of the previously laid pipe, but was trapped before he reached safety. He was covered to his hips, with a piece of cemented soil, or pavement, against his hip. Employee #1 suffered a fractured pelvis and a torn urethra. The coworker reported that he was struck by soil, but escaped injury.