Inspection Detail

Inspection: 102034444 - Kendrick Plumbing And Heating

Inspection Information - Office: Department Of Labor, Licensing, And Regulation Division Of Labor And Industry Maryland Occupational Safety And Health

Investigation Summary

On October 24, 1985, Employee #1, a laborer who had work experience in the plumbing trade, was on his second day on the job. He was a member of a crew that was using a backhoe to dig a 9 ft deep, 10 ft long trench, that narrowed in width from 5 to 2 ft. Shoring had been placed in the trench that morning. The shoring material consisted of four sheets of 4 ft by 8 ft plywood 3/4 in. thick, 2 in. by 8 in. wooden boards, and six screw jacks. Employee #1 was helping to saw a 6 in. diameter plastic sewage pipe that was located at the bottom of the trench, cutting it in two places to remove a 5 ft section. The employees were going to connect into an existing sewage pipe and then extend it alongside the building. It was raining and the trench had underground water seepage so after lunch, Employee #1 and a subcontractor went back into the trench to reshore it. Soon after they entered, the side walls of the trench caved in, trapping Employee #1 under 3 ft of dirt at the bottom of the trench. His right forearm was broken in two places and his left hand and ribs were bruised. He was extricated by the fire department rescue squad and hospitalized for seven days at GBMC. The entire work area had been backfilled; rocks, concrete pieces, and metal objects were observed in the soil whcih cosisted of sand, small to large rocks, mica, and various soils. Heavy vehicles, approximately 30,000 lb when empty, had been driving in the vicinity of the trench prior to the accident.

Keywords: FRACTURE, PINNED, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, TRENCH, SHORING, UNSTABLE SOIL, ARM, SLOPING, CAVE-IN