Inspection Detail

Inspection: 300254398 - Branstiter Transportation, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Eau Claire Area Office

Inspection Nr: 300254398

Report ID: 0523900

Date Opened: 10/31/2003

Site Address:
Branstiter Transportation, Inc.
1470 Division St.
Park Falls, WI 54552

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 201, Glidden, WI 54527

Union Status: NonUnion

SIC:1794

NAICS: 238910/Site Preparation Contractors

Inspection Type: Accident

Scope: Complete

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 12/04/2003

Emphasis: N:Trench, S:Construction Fatalities

Case Closed: 12/30/2003

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Accident	100340264

Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties	Serious	Willful	Repeat	Other	Unclass	Total
Initial Violations	1			1		2
Current Violations	1			1		2
Initial Penalty	$1,500	$0	$0	$0	$0	$1,500
Current Penalty	$1,500	$0	$0	$0	$0	$1,500
FTA Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0

Violation Items
#	Citation ID	Citaton Type	Standard Cited	Issuance Date	Abatement Due Date	Current Penalty	Initial Penalty	FTA Penalty	Latest Event
1.	01001A	Serious	19260021 B02	12/09/2003	01/28/2004	$1,500	$1,500	$0	-
2.	01001B	Serious	19260652 A01	12/09/2003	12/15/2003	$0	$0	$0	-
3.	02001	Other	19040039 A	12/09/2003	12/12/2003	$0	$0	$0	-

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 200340461

Event: 10/01/2003

Trench Collapse Kills Employee

At approximately 2:10 p.m. on October 1, 2003, Employee #1, the company president, and a coworker were installing water and sewer services to a house which the company had relocated approximately one year prior to this accident. The coworker, who was also the backhoe operator, excavated a trench between the house and the inside of a sidewalk located at the street edge. The trench had an average depth of approximately 6 ft, with vertical walls and the excavated soil was placed at the trench edges. Trench width was approximately 30 in., equivalent to one bucket wide. Employee #1 entered the trench at the sidewalk or street side, and commenced hand digging to locate the existing water and sewer lines at the locate marks. Employee #1 was unsuccessful in locating the lines and stepped back in the trench so the backhoe could clear away more soil. This procedure went on approximately four times. As the Employee #1 stepped back in the trench for the final time, the trench wall collapsed, pinning him against the opposite trench wall, and crushing him. Employee #1 was removed from the cave-in site and taken to the hospital but died later that day. Neither employee had any formal trenching or excavation training.

Keywords: SEWER, ASPHYXIATED, PINNED, CONSTRUCTION, TRENCH, CRUSHED, SHORING, CAVE-IN, BACKHOE, UNGUARDED

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	300254398			Fatality	Asphyxia	Occupation not reported

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