Trench collapse accident claims life of construction worker

A trench collapse accident on Tuesday claimed the life of a Detroit area construction worker.  The man was part of a crew which was digging a hole to repair a broken water main when the sides of the hole collapsed around him, burying him up to his shoulders.  The man was conscious initially, but gradually lost consciousness and died from his injuries.

Trenching and excavation work is some of the most hazardous duties on construction sites due to the risk of being involved in a trench collapse accident.  Because the risks of a cave in are so high, there are strict OSHA regulations about what must be done to shore and slope the walls of the excavation to keep workers safe in the hole.

There are some types of excavations which are more hazardous than others.  Excavations with water and sand in them are especially dangerous because the walls of the excavation are much less stable and more probe to caving in.  This man was sent to work on a water main break, which should have led the crews to recognize that there was a high risk of a trench collapse accident due to water in the hole.  Also, as the excavation proceeded they should have recognized that there a good deal of sand in the hole as well.  This was a job which really required strict compliance with OSHA regulations to minimize the risks involved.

One other note about this wrongful death construction accident:  the man killed in the accident had been on the job with this company for only 2 weeks.  Excavation work requires extensive training to make sure that everyone on the job site recognizes hazards in the excavation, but this crew probably sent the man with the least experience down in the one of the most dangerous holes that the crew was likely to encounter.  Words can scarcely express hwo wrong that was.