Abstract: A construction company was laying gravity flow sewer lines (14,000 ft 8 and 10 in. PVC pipe). Employees #1 and #2, laborers, were working inside a trench box. While the foreman was away from the site for a few minutes to pick up tools, the employees decided to get out of the box and lay a 13 ft section of pipe. As they placed the pipe into position, the side walls began to kick in. As they ran to the box, Employee #1 fell and was covered up with approximately 3 ft of soil. Employee #2 made it into the box and tried to shovel Employee #1 out, but he was struck by a large clump of dirt that pinned him to a cross member of the box as he leaned out over it. Both men were rescued and hospitalized. The company requires that employees work inside the trench box at all times.