Abstract: On Thursday, May 30, 1996, Employee #1 and three coworkers were lowering a section of a 641.6 ft long by 30 in. diameter pipe into a trench. Although all four workers were operating booms, Employee #1's sole responsibility was holding the pipe; it was the responsibility of the other boom operators to maneuver it into the trench. The four workers were situated at varying distances from one another: one was positioned 22 ft from the front of the pipe, a second was 80 ft further down, Employee #1 was 80 ft beyond that, and the last operator was 128 ft past Employee #1. As they were lowering the section of pipe, the side booms began to collapse. The three coworkers were able to release their load lines and avoid toppling over, but Employee #1 did not release his line in time. He was pulled into the trench by the force of the pipe as it rolled in, sustaining fatal crushing injuries to his chest.