Abstract: Employees #1 through #3 were in a newly dug trench that measured approximately 25 ft long, 6 ft wide, and 13 ft deep, attempting to set a newly laid 8 in. wide and 13 ft long PVC sewer pipe. The bed was not right and the PVC pipe had to be moved so that three bucketsful of crushed stone, each weighing approximately 1 ton, could be spread along the pipe's length. A Caterpillar tracked front end loader was to dump the crushed stone, and the employees were to spread it out under the pipe. The loader moved three times, grinding the top left side of the trench each time. The left side of the trench caved in, covering all three employees. Employee #1 was killed. Employees #2 and #3 were injured. Employee #3 was hospitalized.