Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1507528.015 - Balance Site Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Atlanta East Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 1:00 p.m. on December 18, 2020, Employee #1 and a coworker, employed by a construction company, were engaged in site preparation for a planned multifamily residential structure. The coworker was operating an excavator and digging a trench where a sewer pipe was being removed. Employee #1 was spotting for his coworker. For no apparent reason, Employee #1 entered the trench, which was not protected from collapse. His coworker subsequently stated that he told Employee #1 to get out of the trench. As Employee #1 moved toward a ladder to exit the trench, a trench wall collapsed. Employee #1 was buried in approximately 8 feet of dirt. It took approximately 20 minutes for his coworker and others to extricate Employee #1 from the trench. CPR was performed unsuccessfully. Employee #1 was killed by asphyxia.

Keywords: Asphyxiated, Buried, CPR, Excavation, Pipe, Residential Construction, Sewer, Structural Collapse, Trench, Unguarded, Unprotected, Unresponsive