Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 200372373 - Two employees killed when trench collapsed

Accident Summary Nr: 200372373 -- Report ID: 0454510 -- Event Date: 12/09/2002
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
306074766	12/10/2002	1623	237110	Hall Construction Company, Llc

Abstract: On December 9, 2002, Employee #1 was laying an 8-in. line for a new sewer line across an existing roadbed inside a 17-ft-deep trench. An 8-ft trench shield was inverted and situated at the end of the trench, at the area where Employee #1 was working. Employee #2 was at the end of the trench on a ladder situated over the area and sloping back into the trench. An area between the inverted shield and the sloped area did not have a protection system. Employee #2, who was standing on the ladder, was positioning another section of the pipe to take it down to Employee #1, when a side wall of the trench collapsed. This knocked the ladder into the trench, causing Employee #2 to fall and be buried beneath the collapsing trench wall. Employee #1 who was partially inside the inverted trench shield was also buried. Employees #1 and #2 died of asphyxia. Emergency Medical Service (EMS) arrived within 15 minutes and retrieved both bodies from the trench using a backhoe.

Keywords: SEWER, ASPHYXIATED, WALL, COLLAPSE, LADDER, CONSTRUCTION, TRENCH, FALL, SLOPING, BURIED

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Sewer/water treatment plant		New project or new addition		$1,000,000 to $5,000,000			X

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	306074766			Fatality	Asphyxia	Construction laborers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Excavation Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure
2	306074766			Fatality	Asphyxia	Construction laborers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Excavation Fatality Cause: Collapse of structure

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