Abstract: Employees #1 and two coworkers were installing pipe in a trench excavation that was 8 ft to 11 ft deep and 5.5 ft wide at the top. The three employees were working in a trench shield connecting piping in the trench. The employees were having some problems getting the piping to go together. While one coworker stayed inside the trench shield, Employee #1 and the other coworker went outside the trench shield in an attempt to get the pipes to fit together. Employee #1, the foreman, went outside the trench shield first to try and push on the piping to get it to fit into the connection. The coworker inside the trench shield noticed Employee #1 having some difficulty and left the trench shield to assist. The coworker stated, "You got it," meaning that the pipe had gone together and subsequently the trench wall gave way burying Employee #1 and the other coworker to their waists. The coworker was able to dig free but Employee #1 had to be rescued by the local fire department. The trench rescue took approximately 2.5 hours from the time of the cave-in to when Employee #1 was freed from the trench. Employee #1 suffered bruises and abrasions but was not hospitalized.