Abstract: Several employees were installing a 30 in. steel water line in a trench approximately 75 ft long by 14 ft wide by 9 ft deep. To protect the employees from cave-ins, four steel plates approximately 14 ft long, 8 ft wide, and 1 1/4 in. thick were installed with a backhoe alongside the banks of the trench and 1 to 2 ft deep at the bottom of the trench. The employer, however, did not install horizontal bracing. As a result, the bank behind one of the steel plates collapsed, causing the steel plate to tip over. Employee #1, who was welding a pipe joint at the time, was struck by the steel plate. He suffered multiple fractures and trauma, and was pronounced dead a short time after the accident.