2016 was another bad year in trench deaths. All were preventable.

1. Excavation Safety in Review
2016
Draft 12 16 2016

2. Dec 2016
• BELTON, Mo
• First responders worked in
the freezing cold
temperatures for nearly 10
hours to recover his body.
• He was buried under 8 feet
of dirt.
• Family members have
identified the man killed as
30-year-old Donald “DJ”
Meyer.
• He’s a father from Oak
Grove who was raising his
8-year-old son, Ashton, on
his own after Meyer’s wife
died a few years ago

3. Dec 2016
• JEFFERSON TWP., OH
• Rescue crews have extricated a
construction worker who fell into a
trench
• The Violet Township Fire
Department says a contracted
worker for the city of Columbus
was on a piece of machinery,
digging a trench for a city sewage
project.
• The man fell about 15 feet off the
machine and into the hole and was
in a “precarious position.”

4. Dec 2016
• Montford NJ
• Worker trapped in
trench

5. November 2016
• Kansas City
• OSHA says an employee of Hydro Tech Plumbing was injured after
the trench he was working in collapsed.
• The worker was repairing underground sewer lines in a trench more than
10 feet deep.

6. Nov 2016
• Greenbelt MD
• Rescue crews were pumping
oxygen and warmer air into the
trench and the worker received
fluids from an IV. Brady said
the man was also hooked up to
an EKG so medics can monitor
his heart activity during the
rescue efforts.
• The worker is injured but
stable, Brady said.

7. Nov 2016
• SEVEN HILLS, Ohio - The U.S. Department of
Labor's Occupational Safety and Health
Administration's Cleveland office has opened an
investigation after learning a 28-year-old employee
of W.F. Hann & Sons was injured while installing
sewer lines in an 8-foot trench in Seven Hills on
Nov. 19, 2016.
• While working in the trench at approximately 1:30
p.m., the soil suddenly shifted, and the trench walls
around him collapsed - burying him in an estimated
14,000 pounds of dirt. The force of the soil was so
great that it shattered a piece of 4 x 8 inch thick
strand board the company used for shoring. A co-
worker dug him out of the trench quickly and saved
the man's life. The Seven Hills Fire Department
responded to the 911 call and transported the
employee to Metro Hospital.

8. Sep 2016
• Edina Texas
• 13 feet deep.
• The second victim,
identified later as 22-
year-old Nathan
Fryday, was overtaken
by the collapse,
eventually losing his
life as rescue efforts
pressed forward.

9. August 2016
• Houston TX
• One person is dead after a
trench collapsed Monday
afternoon in Manvel.
• Contractors with Jaho Paving
and Utility were digging a
trench around 15 feet in the
ground in order to install a
sanitation sewer in a new
subdivision near Highway 6
and Savannah Parkway.

10. August 2016• ROCKY MOUNT, NC
(WTVD) -- A man was
killed Monday in a
collapse at a pond
construction site on Red
Barn Lane near Rocky
Mount in Edgecombe
County.
• Authorities said 36-year-
old Edward Patrick Webb
of Edgecombe County
was installing an overflow
pipe at a new pond site
when the accident
happened.

11. July 2016
• Officials in Minnetonka say two
road workers were buried in soil
for about 20 minutes after a trench
collapsed Monday morning.
• The victim who had been
completely buried was
unresponsive and in very serious
condition, according to a city
official, while the other victim is in
moderate condition.
• According to an initial
investigation, the victims were
prepping the area for water utility
work that’s part of the city’s street
reconstruction.

12. July 2016
• St. Louis
• A worker was trapped
20 feet underground
• Mud and dirt from the
end buried the worker
up to the waist.
• He was trapped for an
hour.

13. July 2016• A Mansfield LA man died in a
construction accident in Bastrop
Friday morning.
• Sheriff Mike Tubbs says crews
were digging to install a sewer
line in front of Walmart when
the embankment collapsed.
Two men were trapped.
• Workers were able to rescue
one man who was trapped from
the waist down. However, they
were unable to rescue the other
man.

14. June 2016
• LEBANON, Pa. (WHTM) – A
Lebanon County man pulled from a
collapsed trench Monday has died
at a hospital.
• Nathan Halteman, 52, died at Penn
State Hershey Medical Center from
multiple traumatic injuries,
Dauphin County Coroner Graham
Hetrick said.
• Halteman, a self-employed
contractor, was working in a 15-
feet-deep trench at Triple-M Farms
in South Lebanon Township when
the ground around him collapsed,
authorities said.

15. June 2016
• Montgomery County
AL — A man who
died after becoming
trapped in a collapsed
trench Wednesday was
identified as James
Rogers, 33, of
Winchester, Ohio.
• Accident happened at
new home
construction site
• OSHA investigating
the incident

16. June 2016
• MADELIA MN
• A medical examiner
determined the
preliminary cause of
death of David James
Erickson, 28, of
Ironwood, Mich., was
asphyxia due to chest
compression.
Erickson was in a trench box working to place
underground piping on a farm in Lincoln Township
when the trench caved in and he became trapped.
The rescue effort took more than five hours due to the
unstable soil.

17. June 2016
• OSHA cited an
Ohio company
after a 33-year-old
employee was
crushed to death in
June 2016 as he
was digging soil
out of the 12-foot
trench in
Washington
Township, when
the trench walls
around him
collapsed - burying
him in thousands
of pounds of dirt.

18. June 2016
• Oregon OH
• Oregon Assistant Police Chief
Paul Magdich said the Jacob
Angelos, 29 was killed when
he was pinned between some
heavy equipment and a pipe
while working on the pipeline.

19. May 2016
• INDIANAPOLIS —
• 32-year-old man was freed from
the trench about 30 minutes
after it collapsed and taken to a
hospital in good condition.
• Reith says that by the time the
first fire apparatus arrived on
the scene minutes later, the man
had been uncovered to mid-
chest.
• Firefighters shored up the
trench and helped him extricate
himself.

20. May 2016
• Boise ID
• The three workers buried
Tuesday when a trench
collapsed in Northwest Boise
appear to have been digging a
path for a sewer line
• Bert Smith Jr., 36, and Ernesto
Saucedo-Zapata, 26, both died
of asphyxia due to compression
from the incident

21. May 2016
• On May 5, 2016, at 2:43 p.m., IFD responded
to an incident that was first dispatched as an
“injured person” with Engine 4 and Medic 4
responding to the call. The temperature was
approximately 83 degrees F and it was sunny,
with 60 percent humidity and a light breeze.
The incident took place in a residential area
as a subcontractor for the city was replacing a
sewer line in the area of 2110 Ridgewood
Street. The city crew had dug a trench
approximately 4 feet wide by 30 feet long
through the concrete roadway. The trench ran
in an east-west direction in line with the
roadway. An excavator was straddling the
trench just west of the patient, with the
bucket positioned to the north side of the
trench, in the area where the collapse had
occurred.

22. May 2016
• Lexington KY
• The victim, Samuel Tyler
Williams, was a married father
of three
• Trench along Todds Road was
16 feet deep; worker was
covered by dirt, gravel
• Trench is between a retaining
wall and the pavement

23. May 2016
• DENVER, Iowa
• The Denver Police Department
says construction workers were
digging along the foundation
wall of a building in Denver
when a portion of the wall
tipped over on Monday and
trapped 56-year-old Henry
Gray, of Clarksville.
• Firefighters and the owner of
Snelling Construction freed
Gray from under the wall, but
he died at the scene.

24. May 2016
• PORTLAND, Ore. - A sewer
worker died in a trench collapse
Thursday in the Garden Home
area, Portland Fire & Rescue
said.
• The worker had been at the
bottom of the trench, which
measured 11 feet deep, 3 feet
wide and 70 feet long,
according to Portland Fire &
Rescue.
• The trench was equipped with
shoring, which is a temporary
set of walls with bracing to hold
back the earth around it and
prevent collapse.

25. March 2016
• Mentor OH
• The investigation into the
March 29 collapse that killed
Alexander J. Marcotte revealed
his employer, Aqua Ohio, did
not provide trench cave-in
protection for its employees,
• 5-8 feet deep with spoil at edge.

26. March 2016• Alliance NE Police say
Jimmy Spencer of
Minatare died Monday
after being buried in an
eight-foot-deep trench
while installing sewer
lines for a home.
• It took several minutes for
rescuers to remove
enough dirt to check
Spencer's vital signs.
• He died at the scene.
• Another construction
worker was injured and
treated at the hospital.
Cheryl Spencer - My husband died in
his cave in....I would go for prison
time! But the guy at fault got a fine of
21000, which I'm sure will lowered, n
his life goes on.

27. Citation
• IL Plumber
• Chicago
• 6.2 feet deep
• Willful cave-in
$42,600
• Repeat Ladder egress
$23,100

28. Citation
• IL Underground
Contractor
• Naperville
• 8.8 feet deep
• Willful cave-in
$59,390
• Serious $5,390
Competent person

29. The Age Old Problem
• In 2013, which is the latest
national data available, 22
workers nationwide died in
trenching cave-ins or
excavation accidents, according
to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
• The number of fatalities
nationally was 15 in 2012 and
19 in 2011.
• No cave-in fatalities in IL in
2014.

30. Planning
• Three things that should be
done to ensure a successful
outcome.
• Worker Protection,
• Protection of existing buried
and aboveground facilities, and
• proper construction of the final
product. (CHST)

31. Criminal 2015
• Prosecutors said on Wednesday
that the two managers — Wilmer
Cueva, of Sky Materials, and
Alfonso Prestia, of Harco
Construction — had ignored
repeated warnings for months
from private inspectors that
treacherous conditions existed at
the site on Ninth Avenue
• Manslaughter and other charges
were being brought against two
construction managers and the
companies they worked for in the
April death of a worker at a
Lower Manhattan building site.

32. Neri Update February 2015
Mike Neri agreed to be
permanently enjoined from
engaging in trenching, excavation,
construction or related activities
and permanently prohibited from
possessing or leasing any
construction excavation equipment.
• The judges also found that Neri,
based on a review of his tax
returns and other financial
records, was unable to pay the
$110,440 fine.
• Mike Neri was released from
Federal Prison December 24,
2014

33. OSHA Litigation 2015
• OSHA cited Pan Oceanic Engineering of
Chicago $105,600
• $70,000 Willful cave in Protection 651(a)(1) Affirmed
• $15,400 Repeat Sidewalk under-mined 651(i)(3) Vacated
• $7,000 Competent Person 651(k) Vacated
• $13,200 Repeat traffic signs 1926.200(g) Vacated
• Trial held in Spring 2015.
Open Date: 07/22/2013

34. How Many Issues?
Trench 5.5 feet deep

35. Criminal 2015
• U.S. Sino Investment, its owner
and a project manager were
convicted on involuntary
manslaughter charges in the
cave-in death of a construction
worker at a Milpitas building
site.
• Raul Zapata Mercado, 38, was
killed January 28, 2012, after a
12-ft. wall of dirt collapsed on
top of him
• Sentencing later July 2015
• Cal-OSHA fined the company
$168,175 for an array of safety
violations

36. 2015 Problems
• These are the common
issues that I ran into in
2015 for underground
• Swing Radius needs to
be guarded for
excavators.

37. 2015 Problems
• Trench 5-6 feet deep.
• Spoil at edge.
• No access.

38. 2015 Problems
• People do not know
how to shore a narrow
trench less than 24
inches wide.

39. 2015 Problem
• Workers do not know
how to hand dig or
deal with tree roots.
• One company in 2015
6 at fault hits. 21 not
at fault,
• Cost per hit est
$10,000-14,000

40. 2015 Problems
• Locates not done for
IDOT or Tollway
areas (non JULIE)

41. 2015 Problems
• Holes not secured and
covered with steel
plate and fenced off.

42. 2015 Problems
• Rigging is used when
damaged

43. 2015 Problems
• Not keeping the 10
feet safe clearance
from powerlines
• 240 volts temp lights
may not be ok to
encroach on the 10
foot.
• Weatherproofing is
not insulation.

44. 2015 Problems
• Workers have ZERO
documented training
in the MUCTD so set
up cones and flags
haphazardly

45. 2015 Problem
• Workers use trench
boxes with only three
struts
• They are not sure
where the tabulated
data is anymore

46. Pot Holing
• Hand dig until find the
lines
• Some companies do
75 locates a week or
more

47. JULIE
Markings
• The gas meter is a
good indicator

48. Before and After Safe?

49. Soil Testing
• Appendix A
• Pocket Penetrometer
• Thumb penetration
• Ribbon Test
• others

50. Soil Classification
• Appendix A, section
(c)(2): The
classification of
deposits shall be made
on the results of least
one manual and one
visual analysis.

51. Soil Classification
• Soil is cracking due to
vibration from traffic.
Soil type was
classified as a Type C.
• Note: Vibration must
be able to be felt.

52. Power lines
• Equipment must stay
at least 10’ away from
power lines
• Violation
• This equipment got
within 5 feet of lower
power lines.

53. The Future

54. 55
159
173
242
512
651(k)(2)
651(j)(2)
651(k)(1)
651(c)(2)
652(a)(1)
Excavations
[1926.650 – .652]
COMPETENT PERSON - INSPECTION AND EMPLOYEE REMOVAL
COMPETENT PERSON - INSPECTIONS
PROTECTION FROM FALLING/ROLLING MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
SAFE EGRESS
CAVE-IN PROTECTION
SUBPARTP

55. #1 1926.652(a)(1)
• Protection from Cave-
in
• Many use double
stacked boxes when
over 10 feet.

56. #2 1926.651 (c)(2)
• Means of egress from
trench excavations. A
stairway, ladder, ramp or
other safe means of egress
shall be located in trench
excavations that are 4 feet
(1.22 m) or more in depth
so as to require no more
than 25 feet (7.62 m) of
lateral travel for
employees.

57. #3 1926.651(k)(1)
• Daily inspections of
excavations, the
adjacent areas, and
protective systems
shall be made by a
competent person

58. #4 1926.651(j)(2)
• Protection shall be provided by
placing and keeping such
materials or equipment at least
2 feet (.61 m) from the edge of
excavations, or by the use of
retaining devices that are
sufficient to prevent materials
or equipment from falling or
rolling into excavations, or by a
combination of both if
necessary.

59. #5 1926.651(k)(2)
• Where the competent person
finds evidence of a situation
that could result in a possible
cave-in, indications of failure of
protective systems, hazardous
atmospheres, or other hazardous
conditions, exposed employees
shall be removed from the
hazardous area until the
necessary precautions have
been taken to ensure their
safety.

60. #6 1926.651 (h)(1)
• Employees shall not
work in excavations in
which there is
accumulated water, or
in excavations in
which water is
accumulating,

61. #7 1926.651 (d)
• Exposure to vehicular
traffic. Employees
exposed to public
vehicular traffic shall be
provided with, and shall
wear, warning vests or
other suitable garments
marked with or made of
reflectorized or high-
visibility material.

62. #8 1926.651 (i)(3)
• Sidewalks, pavements and
structure shall not be
undermined unless a
support system or another
method of protection is
provided to protect
employees from the
possible collapse of such
structures.

63. #9 1926.651(j)(1)
• Adequate protection
shall be provided to
protect employees
from loose rock or soil
that could pose a
hazard by falling or
rolling from an
excavation face.

64. #10 1926.651(e)
• No employee shall be
permitted underneath
loads handled by
lifting or digging
equipment.

65. New Confined Space Rule
• ‘‘competent person’’ conduct
the initial job site evaluation,
• continuous air monitoring of
confined spaces is performed,
• continuous ventilation is used
• information to be shared among
employers is specified by the
rule and
• coordination with rescue teams
must be done in advance of a
confined space entry, although
teams don’t have to be present
at the site.

66. Examples
• Bins;
• Boilers and vessels;
• pits (such as elevator, escalator,
pump, valve or other equipment);
• manholes (such as sewer, storm
drain, electrical, communication,
or other utility);
• tanks (such as fuel, chemical,
water, or other liquid, solid or
gas);
• Incinerators and scrubbers;
• concrete pier columns;
• Sewers and storm drains;
• transformer vaults;
• step up transformers;
• turbines;
• heating, ventilation, and air-
conditioning (HVAC) ducts
• water mains;
• precast concrete and other pre-
formed manhole units;
• drilled shafts;
• enclosed beams;
• Digesters and lift stations;
• cesspools;
• silos;
• air receivers;
• sludge gates;
• air preheaters;
• chillers;
• bag houses; and/or
• mixers/reactors
1926.1201(a)

67. Hazardous Atmospheres
• Testing and controls
– To prevent harmful levels of atmospheric contaminants
– Less than 19.5% or more than 23.5% oxygen
– Less than 10% LEL
– No Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Sulfide and other
Toxics

68. Confined Space
A space that:
 Is large enough and so
configured that an
employee can bodily enter
and perform assigned
work
 Has limited or restricted
entry/exit means
 Is not designed for
continuous Employee
occupancy

69. Ventilate or Ventilation
• means controlling a
hazardous
atmosphere using
continuous forced-
air mechanical
systems that meet
the requirements of
§1926.57

70. • the employer who identifies, or
who receives notice of, a permit
space must:
• Inform exposed employees by
posting danger signs or by any
other equally effective means, of
the existence and location of, and
the danger posed by, each permit
space; and
• Note to paragraph (b)(1). A sign
reading “DANGER -- PERMIT-
REQUIRED CONFINED
SPACE, DO NOT ENTER” or
using other similar language
would satisfy the requirement for
a sign.
• (2) Inform, in a timely manner
and in a manner other than
posting, its employees’ authorized
representatives and the controlling
contractor of the existence and
location of, and the danger posed
by, each permit space.
1926.1203(b)(1)

71. • the employer who identifies, or
who receives notice of, a permit
space must:
• Inform, in a timely manner and
in a manner other than posting,
its employees’ authorized
representatives and the
controlling contractor of the
existence and location of, and
the danger posed by, each
permit space.
1926.1203(b)(2)

72. • Continuous forced
air ventilation must
be used…..
1926.1203(b)(2)(v)

73. • The atmosphere
within the space
must be
continuously
monitored
1926.1203(b)(2)(vi)

74. • If any employer decides that
employees it directs will enter a
permit space, that employer
must have a written permit
space program that complies
with §1926.1204 implemented
at the construction site.
• The written program must be
made available prior to and
during entry operations for
inspection by employees and
their authorized representatives.
1926.1203(d)(1)

75. Who Will Rescue?
• July 2015
• Fairfax County VA

76. Timber Shoring

78. Questions?