Abstract: At approximately 11:00 a.m. on February 12, 1996, Employee #1 was laying 13 ft sections of pvc sewer pipe. He was working inside an 8 ft high by 5 ft wide by 20 ft long trench box that had been installed in a trench that was approximately 17 ft high by 5 ft wide by 40 to 60 ft long. After the employee connected the last section of pipe in the trench box, the track backhoe began pulling the trench box forward. When the box began moving, dirt caved in adjacent to the south end of the trench box. The employee, apparently fearing for his safety, ran out of the trench box to exit the excavation by using the sloped portion of the trench wall. After he had travelled approximately 8 ft, the bottom portion of the trench caved in, trapping Employee #1 up to his waist. The top portion then caved in, completely covering him with 2 to 4 ft of dirt. He died of asphyxia.