Text For Citation: 01 Item/Group: 001B Hazard:

29 CFR 1926.651(h)(1): Employees shall not work in excavations in which there is accumulated water, or in excavations in which water is accumulating, unless adequate precautions have been taken to protect employees against the hazards posed by water accumulation. The precautions necessary to protect employees adequately vary with each situation, but could include special support or shield systems to protect from cave-ins, water removal to control the level of accumulating water, or use of a safety harness and lifeline: a)Olson Digging Service at 3708 East Brewster Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57106: On or about May 3, 2018, the competent person did not remove employees from an excavation where water had accumulated. Two employees were attempting to locate utilities in a seven-foot deep excavation and were not protected from cave-in hazards posed by water accumulation. At the time of the fatal collapse, more than a foot of water had accumulated in the trench. This condition exposed employees to crushing hazards and hazards posed by standing water.