Abstract: At approximately 6:30 p.m. on January 7, 1993, Employees #1 and #2 and a coworker were positioning a 16 ft 6 in. long by 8 ft wide by 3/4 in. thick steel plate in a 20 ft long by 9 ft wide by 21 1/2 ft deep pit. The pit was the access to a 48 in. wastewater tunnel project. The employees were preparing to weld the steel plate to the east wall of the trench shield. A Cat 245 backhoe lowered the plate into the pit area. Seconds after the chain had been released from the steel plate, the plate fell over. Employee #1, while proceeding toward the west wall, was struck and killed by the plate, which inflicted multiple blunt force injuries.. Employee #2 was struck against the north wall area. He was hospitalized for a broken and dislocated wrist as well as suffering cuts and scrapes to his knee, chest, stomach, and scrotum.