Abstract: At about 11:15 a.m. on March 10, 1993, Employee #1, a 31-year-old carpenter, was working in a 5-foot excavation that was improperly shored with sections of 2 foot by 8 foot by 1/2 inch plywood installed in the bottom. The excavation's south wall caved in and buried him up to his hips. One of the plywood sections struck Employee #1's left leg and trapped him. Other workers in the area attempted to dig him out while 911 was called. Paramedics and firemen arrived in about 10 minutes and removed Employee #1 from the excavation. He was transported to a local hospital where his fractured left femur was set. The project did not have the required CAL/OSHA excavation permit and the excavation was not properly shored to protect workers.