Accident Report Detail

Accident Summary Nr: 202587440 - Employee Is Crushed When Pipe Shifts in Trench Excavation

Accident Summary Nr: 202587440 -- Report ID: 0950614 -- Event Date: 05/09/2012
Inspection Nr	Date Opened	SIC	NAICS	Establishment Name
315318212	05/22/2012	1629	237110	Shimmick Construction Co Inc

Abstract: At 3:15 p.m. on May 9, 2012, the employer was aligning vertically the manhole on the 78-inch diameter pipe by slowly rolling it counter clockwise with the use of a Komatsu excavator. While the pipe was being lifted and rigged, Employee #1 was still in the trench underneath the steel load. The pipe shifted, and its weight crushed Employee #1, resulting in a serious injury. Employee #1 was flown by helicopter to the Regional Medical Center of San Jose, where he was treated. Employee #1 sustained a traumatic crush injury, a ruptured diaphragm. Employee #1 was discharged on May 25, 2012. On August 8, 2012, Employee #1 underwent another surgery on his left thoracotomy and was discharged on August 10, 2012.

Keywords: CHEST, EXCAVATION, FRACTURE, STEEL TUBE, CONSTRUCTION, TRENCH, RUPTURE, EXCAVATOR

Accident Details
End Use		Project Type		Project Cost	Stories	Non-building Height	Fatality
Sewer/water treatment plant		New project or new addition		$20,000,000 and over

Employee Details
Employee #	Inspection Nr	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation	Construction
1	315318212			Hospitalized injury	Fracture	Construction laborers	Distance of Fall: feet Worker Height Above Ground/Floor: feet Cause: Trenching, installing pipe Fatality Cause: Crushed/run-over/trapped of operator by operating

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