Inspection Detail

Inspection: 2909992 - Racine Implement Co Inc

Inspection Information - Office: Minnesota Department Of Labor And Industry

Investigation Summary

At approximately 10:00 a.m. on October 11, 1985, Employee #1 and a coworker were installing plastic drain tile in a 200 ft long trench that was 40 in. wide at the top and 25 in. wide at the bottom. The coworker, who was Employee #1's brother and the president of the firm, was operating an International tractor equipped with a backhoe. Sewer and water lines had been installed when the trench was 6 ft deep. It had then been backfilled to about 3 ft, the depth at which the drain tile was being installed. About 30 ft from the east side of the body shop, the north wall of the trench caved in, crushing Employee #1 and fracturing his pelvis in four places. He was expected to remain hospitalized for about 30 days. The trench was composed of crushed rock to about a foot, with the remainder being clay; there was approximately one foot of water in the bottom of the trench at the time of the accident. The trench was located in front of a body shop owned by Employee #1's son. The work was being done as a favor, without arrangements for payment. No sloping or shoring had been used to prevent the trench from caving in.

Keywords: FRACTURE, WORK RULES, CONSTRUCTION, TRENCH, PELVIS, SHORING, SLOPING, CAVE-IN