Inspection Detail

Inspection: 306498221 - Michael'S Backhoe And Landscaping, Inc.

Inspection Information - Office: Nc Department Of Labor - Winston-Salem

Inspection Nr: 306498221

Report ID: 0453720

Date Opened: 07/03/2003

Site Address:
Michael'S Backhoe And Landscaping, Inc.
Highway 70 And Highway 100
Whitsett, NC 27377

Mailing Address:
4256 Mcintyre Road, Gibsonville, NC 27249

Union Status: NonUnion

SIC:1623

NAICS: 237110/Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction

Inspection Type: Accident

Scope: Partial

Advanced Notice: N

Ownership: Private

Safety/Health: Safety

Close Conference: 11/04/2003

Planning Guide: Safety-Construction

Emphasis: S:Construction Sep

Case Closed: 01/12/2005

Related Activity
Type	Activity Nr	Safety	Health
Accident	100072032

Violation Summary
Violations/Penalties	Serious	Willful	Repeat	Other	Unclass	Total
Initial Violations	2					2
Current Violations
Initial Penalty	$1,750	$0	$0	$0	$0	$1,750
Current Penalty	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
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	Contest	Latest Event	Note
1.	01001	Serious	19260021 B06 I	01/02/2004	01/12/2004	$0	$1,050	$0	02/05/2004	F - Formal Settlement	Citation has been deleted.
2.	01002	Serious	19260020 B01	01/02/2004	01/12/2004	$0	$700	$0	02/05/2004	F - Formal Settlement	Citation has been deleted.

Investigation Summary

Investigation Nr: 200071975

Event: 07/03/2003

Two employees die when asphyxiated in water main vault

Sometime in the late afternoon of July 3, 2003, Employee #1 and Employee #2 entered the confined space of the water main vault at the intersection of Highways 70 and 100 in Whitsett, North Carolina. The two were employees of Michael's Backhoe and Landscaping, Inc. and were working with several employees to extend a 24-inch main water line from the area of Frizzell Drive to a point approximately 100 yards east of the intersection of Highways 70 and 100. While the vault they entered and died in was not set by the company, it was the vault that housed the valve that they were required to test with the new water line. They had begun to pressurize the line in preparation for the formal pressure test of the line that was scheduled for Monday, July 7, 2003, with the inspector with the City of Burlington who owned the lines. Although a search was begun the evening of July 3, the area of the vault was not clearly visible due to mud and the material spread during grass sowing and the two employees were not found until the fourth of July at approximately 11:00 a.m. Both employees were overcome by the lack of oxygen in the confined space and died of asphyxia.

Keywords: OXYGEN DEFICIENCY, ASPHYXIATED, INSTALLING, CONFINED SPACE, CONSTRUCTION, VALVE, PIPE

Investigated Inspection
#	Inspection	Age	Sex	Degree of Injury	Nature of Injury	Occupation
1	306498221			Fatality	Asphyxia	Construction trades, n.e.c.
2	306498221			Fatality	Asphyxia	Construction trades, n.e.c.

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