UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

On December 24, 2009, Employee #1 and a coworker were installing an 8-in. sewer line. Coworker #1 was operating a Takeuchi TB175 excavator, and coworker #2 was operating a Deere 200 LC excavator. Employee #1 and coworker #3 entered the excavation trench, approximately 12 ft deep, to install a 14 ft section SDR PVC sewer pipe. One face of the excavation was vertical and the other face was cut back and contained a small bench. The excavation trench did not contain a protective system. After installing the 14 ft section of pipe, Employee #1 and coworker #3 was instructed to assist coworker #1 with replacing a 15-in. storm drain concrete pipe in another section of the trench. Employee #1 was last seen standing in the area between the two excavators, around the section of the trench which had been sloped back, approximately 8 ft deep. Coworker #1 removed a bucket of dirt and swung around, to his left, and dumped the bucket of dirt onto the spoil pile. As he was swung the bucket back around toward the trench, he heard Employee #1 yell and noticed that he was buried in dirt. Employee #1's back was pressed against one face of the trench, buried to his neck. He was extracted, loss consciousness and went into cardiac arrest. Employee #1 died due to blunt trauma to his chest.