Abstract: On October 25, 2002, Employee #1, a gas fitter, was working for a company that maintains the electrical and gas conduits in San Diego County. The employee was working in a shallow trench, preparing to install a tie-in on a 6-in. poly gas line. Within a few feet of this trench lay a thick steel cover plate, used after work hours to cover the trench and support the normal flow of vehicle traffic over the trench. A coworker drove a bobcat tractor, Ingersoll Rand, Product Identification Number 514428794, Number 8, over the top of the cover plate, and simultaneously turned the tractor. The friction of the bobcat wheel caused the cover plate to rotate and slide backwards towards and across the trench, pinning Employee #1 in the trench. Employee #1 was hospitalized where he was treated for a ruptured kidney.