Abstract: Employees #1 and #2 were laying 5 ft lengths of 8 in. diameter sewer pipe in an unshored and unsloped trench that was 5 ft wide by 11 ft deep. A backhoe was digging the trench and Employees #1 and #2 were laying pipe to within 10 to 20 ft of the end of the trench. The trenching had progressed to a partially excavated and enlarged manhole location about 230 ft east of the starting point. Employee #2 was using a laser to check the grade in the manhole area and Employee #1 was about 10 to 15 ft to the west when a 24 ft length of the trench collapsed to the west of the manhole. Employee #1 was completely buried with soil and died of suffocation. Employee #2 was covered to his chest, but suffered only bruises and a sprained ankle. Employee #3, the foreman, was not in the trench but suffered what appeared to be a heart attack after he assisted in the rescue operation. He was hospitalized.