Trenching & Excavation Accidents #1

This page was last updated on 05/06/2010

Gas leak forces evacuation of several homes
CUMBERLAND — Several houses on Marshall Avenue were evacuated Tuesday morning after contractors working on a water main accidentally ruptured an underground natural gas line. A police officer working traffic detail reported the break at 11:23 a.m., after a backhoe digging near 211 Marshall Ave. struck a service line to the home, according to police and Valley Resources spokesman Paul Fioranti. The main gas line was not damaged, but firefighters evacuated five or six nearby houses as a precautionary measure, said Valley Falls Fire Chief Ernest Cimino. “They were only out for roughly a half-hour as a precaution until the gas leak was capped off,” Cimino said. Each of the evacuated homes was checked to see if any natural gas had entered homes through spaces around underground pipes, but each test came up negative and the residents were allowed back into their homes, Cimino said. He said yesterday’s breeze helped to dissipate the gas quickly outside near the break, reducing the risk of ignition of the highly flammable gas. Valley Resources responded to turn the service line off and repair it, and service was restored a short time later, Fioranti said. Only one home’s service was affected. The break caused a minor delay in work being done on Marshall Avenue for the Pawtucket Water Supply Board (PWSB), which supplies water to Valley Falls, Pawtucket and Central Falls. Contractors have been working there for about a week and half on a project to clean and reline the water main that runs the length of the road on the south side, according to Pamela Marchand, PWSB chief engineer. The project will take a total of about six weeks and will involve sending machines through the main to scour off corrosion and rust that have accumulated over years. After scraping, they will line the pipe with a fresh layer of cement. In order to do the work, they must dig holes every 500 feet or so to give them access, Marchand said. Since the water line must be shut down for the work, the PWSB has installed a temporary bypass line that runs from a fire hydrant near the intersection of High Street and Marshall Avenue to the bottom of the hill at the other end of the street. It sits above ground on the front lawns of every home on the street’s south side, and temporary asphalt was laid over it where it crosses driveways. A similar project is also now being performed on Ann & Hope Way.

Gas leak prompts evacuation

August 16, 2001 – Streetscape contractors cut a 4-inch natural gas line at the intersection of Ohio Avenue and Court Street Wednesday morning causing the evacuation of several downtown businesses. Sidney Fire Chief R. Stanley Crosley said his department received a call at 8:43 a.m. Firefighters deployed hose lines as a precaution while the police department halted street traffic in the area. The Spot Restaurant at 210 S. Ohio Ave., Peoples Federal Savings & Loan, 101 E. Court St. and Jim’s Barber Shop, 203 S. Ohio Ave., were evacuated at 8:50 a.m. The incident was contained at 9:19 a.m. when a Vectren of Ohio crew arrived to shut off the gas and begin repairs to the line. Crosley said that good atmospheric conditions Wednesday helped dissapate the escaping gas. HAZMAT assistance was not required. The emergency situation required only about 30 minutes, to resolve, Crosley said. Several other gas lines have been cut since the Courthouse Square street work began, all of them of minor consequence.

Waikiki gas leak evacuation

A construction crew this morning breaks an 8-inch natural gas line. Honolulu police closed traffic to three major entrances to Waikiki and evacuated several buildings this morning after a construction crew doing some roadwork near the Kuhio Avenue intersection broke an underground gas line this morning near the intersection of Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. The Ft. DeRussy office building, Waikiki Terrace Hotel, an ABC Store and Keo’s in Waikiki Restaurant were evacuated at about 9:45 a.m. The evacuation is “going really smooth,” said front desk clerk Tina Beach, noting that she was calling each of the approximately 230 occupied rooms to tell guests about the situation. Beach said the odor of natural gas became detectable to her at about 9 a.m. Steve Golden, a gas company spokesman, said they were notified at about 8:45 a.m. that the 8-inch natural gas line had ruptured. The company is putting in a temporary clamp to get Kalakaua Avenue open again, but he said eventually they will have to dig up the road and make a permanent repair. Golden said he expected the temporary repair would be finished shortly after 11 a.m. Honolulu Fire Capt. Richard Soo said that the evacuations were just a precaution. “Fortunately the gas is leaking into an open area and there are tradewinds,” he said. “If it had been in a confined space, it would have been more of a problem,” he added. Five fire engine companies, one ladder and two HAZMAT team responded to the two-alarm call. There were no reports of injuries. Police set up road blocks at the intersection of Atkinson Drive and Ala Moana Boulevard, Kapiolani Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue intersection and McCully and Kapiolani for traffic going into Waikiki. Motorists entering Waikiki from Kapahulu Avenue were allowed to travel on Ala Wai Boulevard but were not allowed to turn into Waikiki. Cars traveling on Kuhio Avenue were diverted onto Ala Wai Boulevard. “It’s really inconvenient. I’m losing a lot of my stops because I can’t go through the area,” said Josh Garlutzo, a Fuji Films employee who was caught in traffic at Atkinson Drive and Kapiolani Boulevard. It was even more of an inconvenience for Johan Wiklund and a companion who just arrived in Honolulu from Sweden with four suitcases. Wiklund said he was stuck in traffic for 20-minutes near Kalakaua and Kapiolani avenues. Finally, the cab driver dropped them off at the Hard Rock Cafe and they prepared to walk the rest of the way to their hotel at the Ohana Edgewater. “It’s not what I planned,” he said.

UPDATE, Explosion forces evacuation
Officials today were maintaining a watch on a liquid propane pipeline that was accidentally ruptured Sunday evening, causing a massive explosion that had flames still burning more than 50 feet into the air this morning in the Western Lake Estates community south of Weatherford. The rupture occurred about 7 p.m. Sunday on Marlboro Trail when the uncle of the homeowner was using a Bobcat (a small backhoe) to excavate a spot to build a carport next to the owner’s mobile home. He hit the line, sending gas roaring into the air, according to Parker County Fire Marshal Jeff Edwards. “He did have some slight burns,” Edwards said. ‘”But I am assuming that he had a little bit of time for him to get away from it, because if it had gone off when he hit it, I don’t see anyway he could have got out of it.” The mobile home was destroyed by the explosion, according to Edwards. Parker County Emergency Management Coordinator Brad Cathy said approximately 80 households were evacuated Sunday evening and the area is still cordoned off. DPS Trooper Gary Rozzell said the number of people evacuated totaled about 140. Cathy said an elderly female resident near the explosion who had been evacuated was taken to Campbell Hospital with chest pains late Sunday night. “We have flames still going about 50 feet in the air, and the pressure is still over 300 pounds,” he said this morning. “We are going to be here with it burning for 12 to 15 more hours at least and possibly 24 (hours) for the gas remaining in the line to burn off.” A flare was shot into the pipeline at the Brock shut off point to attempt to blow off the remaining gas in the line at approximately 8 o’clock morning, but Cathy said it was unclear how effective it would be. The 14-inch line is owned by Chevron and West Texas LPG Partnership. It has shut off points in Brock and Cleburne, according to Cathy and had “roughly 980 pounds of pressure when it was hit.” Cathy said Chevron officials are at the scene. He said there are 14 miles of line between the rupture and the shut off points. “It is like a big candle burning and if the wind picks up it is going to blow the flames over into a brushy area,” Cathy said. Tin Top and Horseshoe Bend volunteer fire departments are at the scene, with others on standby if the conditions worsen, according to Cathy. Chevron put the evacuees who did not stay with relatives in Weatherford motels, according to the local Red Cross. Witnesses said flames were burning up to 200 feet in the air Sunday night. Edwards said six county fire departments were at the scene after the explosion and Parker County Sheriff’s Deputies were going door to door evacuating area residents. Though apparently unrelated, there were reports of several ruptured gas lines in Parker County last week. “This is the first time that I have seen one of them catch fire,” Edwards said. Kathy Baldwin with Chevron and West Texas LPG (Liquid Propane Gas) Partnership said all concerned “are very fortunate.” “We need to do a formal incident investigation,” Baldwin said this morning from the scene of the explosion. “But we believe that a third party hit our pipeline.” Baldwin said typically when an incident is caused by a third party, Chevron and West Texas LPG attempt to recover the costs. “There is a process where there is supposed to be a call made before any excavation is done,” Baldwin said. “We will go out and mark the pipelines and be there to make sure that they don’t get hit. The pipeline markers were there, but we did not get a call.” Edwards said the pipeline’s path was marked by a sign on a fence.

Parker County subdivision evacuated after pipeline explosion

08/13/2001, Associated Press

WEATHERFORD, Texas – About 150 people remained in temporary shelters today after a backhoe broke a liquid propane pipeline, causing an explosion that sent flames up to 100 feet into the air. The Chevron-owned pipeline was shut off Sunday night, but propane was expected to burn through today, Parker County Judge Mark Riley told The Associated Press from the scene. The accident happened about 9 p.m. Sunday in the Western Lake Estates subdivision, about 10 miles south of Weatherford. A homeowner moving dirt with a backhoe next to his mobile home tapped the propane line, unleashing a fireball that destroyed his home and a barn, officials said. The backhoe operator suffered minor injuries. He was treated at the scene and released. No other injuries were reported. Nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution, with families spending Sunday night and this morning in motels and emergency shelters. However, Riley said their homes were not in danger.

UPDATE, Company to pay fine for trench collapse

OSHA has fined a Des Moines plumber for violating safety standards that threatened an employee’s life.

By TARA DEERING, Register Staff Writer, 08/11/2001

A Des Moines plumbing company agreed Friday to pay $9,500 in fines for an Urbandale trench collapse that almost took an employee’s life. Chas W. Goering plumbing officials say that employee William Major violated company policy when he entered the 10½-foot-deep trench June 6 to connect a sewer line at 7418 Dennis Drive in Urbandale. The dirt walls of the trench collapsed, burying Major under several feet of dirt for more than five hours. Major refused Friday to comment on the events of June 6. “I’m back to work and I’m glad I’m alive,” he said. “My interest is for my family and not really my career anymore.” The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration found in a two-month investigation that the company violated several safety standards, including allowing employees without effective training to work in a trench without shoring. The state agency originally had fined the plumbing company $20,400 Tuesday, which included four serious citations totaling $5,700 and a $14,700 willful citation. A serious violation is defined by OSHA as conditions that could result in serious injury or death. A willful violation is the intentional disregard of safety rules. The plumbing firm’s total penalty was cut by more than half in an agreement reached Friday during a closed informal hearing with OSHA officials. Jerry Skeers, labor safety officer for OSHA, said it’s not unusual for fines to be significantly reduced when claims are settled out of court. He said reaching an agreement with companies avoids costly litigation. “Resolving this citation will allow us both to work toward the common goal of all Iowans – when people finish a productive work day, they come home to their families undamaged,” Skeers said. Ken Goering, president of Chas W. Goering, 3211 Forest Ave., said he was happy a settlement could be reached. He maintains that his company’s safety policy exceeds state standards. Goering said Major, a nine-year employee of the company, will not face disciplinary action. “He’s been punished enough,” Goering said. “He was buried.” Kevin Goering, purchasing agent for the plumbing company, said Major was properly trained and was the foreman on the site June 6. “He’s the last of our employees I would have expected to do something like this,” he said. “He’s one of those guys who goes by the book.” Skeers said OSHA investigators believe other employees, besides Major, were in the trench the day of the accident. Kevin Goering said another employee was in the trench for a brief period the day of the accident. He said three employees, including Major, were at the job site.

UPDATE, Trench collapse brings fine of $20,400

By TARA DEERING and THOMAS BEAUMONT, Register Staff Writer, 08/08/2001

Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials said Tuesday the agency has fined a Des Moines plumbing company $20,400 in an Urbandale trench collapse. William Major was installing a sewer line at 7418 Dennis Drive in Urbandale June 6 when the dirt walls of a 10½-foot-deep trench collapsed. He survived being buried under several feet of dirt for more than five hours. The state agency found in a two-month investigation that Major’s employer, Chas W. Goering plumbing contractors, violated several safety standards. The plumbing company was issued four serious violations totaling $5,700 and a $14,700 willful violation. Jerry Skeers, labor safety officer for OSHA, said that willful violations are not often issued. He said from two to 20 willful violations are issued a year in Iowa, compared with about 1,000 serious violations. The plumbing company was fined: -$14,700 in a willful citation for allowing employees to work in a trench about 35 feet long, 8½ to 10½ feet deep and 2 feet wide with no protection system. -$1,500 for allowing employees without effective training on excavation safety to work in trenches. Lack of such training could result in crushing injuries or death. -$1,050 for failing to provide protection because excavated materials or equipment were not kept at least two feet from the trench’s edge. -$2,100 for failing to ensure that inspections were conducted by a competent person before employees were allowed to enter the trench. -$1,050 for failing to protect employees from hazards. The top of the ladder used to climb into the trench was about 3 feet below the top of the trench. Skeers said an informal conference with Chas W. Goering, 3211 Forest Ave., has been scheduled for Friday. The plumbing company may present any evidence or views supporting lesser penalties. Skeers said many times a settlement is reached and the fines are lowered. The company has a right to appeal the fines levied against it. Ken Goering, president of Chas W. Goering plumbing contractors, said in June that all of his employees who work in trenches are extensively trained to follow proper procedures. He said in most cases the 69-year-old firm’s standards exceed the state requirements. The plumbing company also investigated the incident. Goering could not be reached for comment Tuesday. OSHA officials said a serious violation carries a maximum fine of $7,000, although the average fine is about $1,000. Such violations cause serious injury or death. A willful violation has a maximum fine of $70,000. Skeers said the maximum fines for violations are rarely issued. Officials said willful violations are the intentional disregard of safety regulations. “Probably the biggest (total) penalty we’ve ever issued a company is around $500,000 or $600,000,” Skeers said. Cole Chase, chief executive officer of Homebuilders Association of Iowa, said OSHA has handed down much larger fines for accidents involving injuries. “Given their authority, that’s not particularly high. I think they can go upwards of $200,000, depending on the level of neglect,” Chase said. “I’ve seen single job site where there have been $500,000 in fines,” he said. “So $20,000 given their ability to fine is not particularly high.” OSHA officials said repeat violations of safety standards carry stiffer penalties.

Trench collapse injures two

By Marty Roney, Montgomery Advertiser

PRATTVILLE – Two construction workers were trapped for about half an hour Thursday afternoon when the walls of the trench they were working in collapsed. Danny Mullis, 40, was in fair/stable condition at Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery on Thursday night, a hospital spokesman said. Anthony Moore, 23, was in serious condition, the spokesman said. The accident scene was at the intersection of Bridge Street and Gin Shop Hill Road. It took rescue crews about 25 minutes to free the men. Moore was buried to his waist and apparently suffered a broken pelvis and back injuries, said Capt. Leon McCord, shift commander for the Prattville Fire Department. Mullis, who was buried to his chest, received “minor” injuries, McCord said. In fact, Mullis walked up the steep slope leading from the trench to the road after being rescued. “They’re very lucky. It could have been much worse,” McCord said. The call for help came at 4:02 p.m., and the first units responded within three minutes, radio logs report. The men, employed by B.S. Carter Construction Co. of Prattville, were replacing a 54-inch drainage pipe under the road. The trench is about 15 feet deep. A trench box, a safety device used to protect workers if the ditch gives way, was not in place at the time of the cave-in. Firefighters at ground level nervously watched the sides of the trench as five of their comrades worked to rescue the two men. Occasionally, small amounts of dirt would fall from the walls into the trench. Three firefighters worked to free the men, while another two crouched sheltered in a section of 54-inch concrete pipe that had already been laid in the ditch. The Prattville Fire Department has an intensive cross-training program in which firefighters are certified in several different rescue disciplines.

UPDATE, OSHA fines contractor $113,000 in mishap that killed worker

The contracting company that was doing work in Wilkes-Barre in February during a trench collapse that killed one worker was hit with $113,000 in proposed fines from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Thursday. The proposals for fines were made against James T. O’Hara Co., Moscow, for what OSHA called “willful, serious and repeat violations of safety and health standards” in a written statement. Andrew Hedesh, area director of OSHA Wilkes-Barre office, explained it is not the first time O’Hara has been under scrutiny. “This employer has considerable history with OSHA which resulted in citations and penalties for failure to protect workers in trenches,” Hedesh said. “After every inspection, the employer promised to correct the hazards but continued to exhibit a blatant disregard for the safety of his employees.” O’Hara was doing excavation work in Wilkes-Barre on Feb. 16, when a trench collapsed, killing Joel Connors, 31, of Pottsville and injuring another worker. It was determined soon after the accident that O’Hara was operating in Wilkes-Barre without the proper permits and license. Connors’ family has filed suit against the city, Wilkes-Barre Township, Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority and Michael J. Pasonick Jr. Inc. Consulting Engineers and Surveyors. The family has also asked District Attorney David Lupas to investigate the accident to determine if anyone could be held criminally negligent. OSHA is also proposing fines for the company’s alleged failure to protect workers in that same trench 10 days earlier, on Feb. 6. According to information from OSHA, the two alleged egregious, willful violations, which carry a proposed penalty of $49,000 each, were issued for exposing employees to cave-ins. A $9,000 penalty was proposed for alleged serious violations for failure to place a spoil pile at least two feet from the edge of the excavation, not maintaining a safety and health program, and not providing a support system to protect workers in a weakened sidewalk. The alleged repeat violation, with a proposed penalty of $6,000, was for failure to provide a stairway, structural ramp, or ladder in the excavation where employees were working and for failure to provide adequate training regarding excavations hazards. Willful violations are defined as those committed with intentional disregard of or plain indifference to the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. Serious violations are those in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious injury could result and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. The company has 15 days to contest the citations and proposed penalties to independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Collapse kills worker

More than a ton of dirt fell on New Oxford man installing sewer lines

JOSEPH DEINLEIN, For Dispatch/Sunday News

A New Oxford man died in a trench collapse yesterday after more than a ton of dirt fell on him. Byrle Wetzel, 53, of Fleshman Mill Road was part of a three-man crew from George H. Bixler Inc. plumbing company working around 11:30 a.m. at 1312 Carlisle Pike in Penn Township, near the Adams County line. The workers were connecting Penn Township’s new sewer line to a residence, according to York County Coroner Barry Bloss. As Wetzel was in the 7-foot-deep trench, a corner of it collapsed, pinning him under an estimated 2,500-pound chunk of dirt, Bloss said. As soon as the dirt fell, Joe Giseman, a subcontractor hired by Bixler to operate the backhoe, and the other crew member went into the trench in an effort to save Wetzel. “We jumped down there and tried to get that big clump off him,” Giseman said. “We couldn’t get it, so that’s when we called 911.” The chunk of dirt covered most of Wetzel’s body, exposing only his upper torso and head, Bloss said. “His head was never covered,” he said. “There was compression to his chest area, which compressed his lungs, making it impossible for him to breathe.” Wetzel had worked for the company for 15 years, according to Bloss. Rod Bixler, owner of the company, declined comment at the time of the accident. By the time paramedics got to Wetzel, it was too late, according to Jan Cromer, chief of Penn Township Fire Department. At 12:35 p.m., Cromer said the operation went from rescue to recovery. Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials were called to observe the rescue and begin an inquiry into whether proper procedure was followed on the work site. The federal agency will be investigating the accident. An inspector is at the scene today and Bob Fink, an OSHA spokesman in Harrisburg, estimated the investigation would take a month or two. Fink said typically any trench more than five feet deep should be either sloped back or shored up. Whether a trench will likely collapse depends on many factors, including the type of soil, the amount of moisture in it and whether the soil had been previously disturbed. The recent dry weather could have caused the soil to clump, but Fink said usually wet dirt is a bigger problem. “A lot of time you get water going down into fissures” and the soil slides, he said. This is the second trench collapse in York County in two years. Fifteen months ago, a 16-year-old boy was seriously injured in Jackson Township after he was buried up to his ribcage in another trench collapse. Craig DeTraglia had been digging a sewer line, working for his father’s Mechanicsburg-based company, DeTraglia Construction, when the accident occurred. After an investigation, OSHA issued the company a $525 fine for failing to shore up the trench. Betty Owings, who lives in the house where the sewer line was being installed yesterday, declined comment. When rescuers arrived yesterday, they set up supports on both sides of the trench to prevent it from collapsing further and possibly harming paramedics trying to free Wetzel, Cromer said. “There were several cracks in the side walls,” Cromer said. “It’s a very, very dangerous operation. A very tedious rescue.” Carlisle Pike was closed from Eisenhower Drive to Hershey Heights Road for nearly six hours. It took the York County Special Rescue Task Force nearly an hour to secure the trench, at which time paramedics determined Wetzel was dead, Cromer said. To free the body, rescuers first had to dig another trench perpendicular to the first one in order to secure the hole. Another backhoe and an operator had to be called in to perform the digging, Bloss said.

Workman is killed after wall collapses at North Island job

UNION-TRIBUNE, August 1, 2001

CORONADO — A 19-year-old man working with a construction crew building a pier at North Island Naval Air Station died yesterday of injuries he suffered when a concrete support wall collapsed on him as he worked in a trench, a Navy spokesman said. The man, a civilian employed by Nova Group Inc., based in Napa, had a slight pulse when he was pulled from the trench about 1:30 p.m., a half hour after the incident. He was airlifted to UCSD Medical Center, where officials for Nova said he died from the injuries, according to Lt. Phil Rosi, Navy Region Southwest public affairs officer. Rosi said he was not aware of further details surrounding the accident, which would be under investigation by Nova and the Navy. Carol Bionoa, a spokeswoman for Nova, said the company was building a pier on the east side of the base. The victim was believed to be from Northern California. Federal firefighters and employees gave the victim emergency attention before he was taken to a hospital.

Gas Fire Injures Worker

TIMES RECORD STAFF

An Arkansas Oklahoma Gas worker was injured in a natural gas fire in Fort Smith Monday. Kenny Lewis was taken to St. Edward Mercy Medical Center with second-degree burns to his face and forearms, AOG Vice President Mike Callan said. Lewis was listed in fair condition Monday night, a nursing supervisor said. Callan said the accident happened after workers ruptured a gas line in the 3500 block of May Branch Lane at about 2:45 p.m. The workers were operating a directional boring machine and were employed by a contractor hired by a cable television company, he said. About 30 minutes later gas from the ruptured line ignited and injured Lewis, who was attempting to repair the damage, Callan said. “It could have been a spark from the gravel being blown out of the hole by the pressure of the gas, it could have been a spark created by a shovel. There’s just no way of telling (what started the fire),” Callan said. Callan said the rupture caused five to eight AOG customers to lose gas service. The line was expected to be repaired Monday night, he said.

Ruptured gas line forces daycare evacuation

Tuesday, July 31, 2001, By Amy Jo Johnson, TIMES WRITER

Thirty-eight children and eight workers were evacuated from Ready, Set, Grow! Daycare and Nursery School in Auburn Monday after contractors severed a natural gas line across the street, about 50 feet away. A subcontractor for J.R. Heineman & Sons Inc. was excavating sections of concrete while working on a drive for Auburn Elementary School, 301 E. Midland Road, when workers hit a 1 1/2-inch, plastic gas pipe at about 11 a.m. “Whenever natural gas is present, there is the potential for ignition,” said Kevin Keane, a spokesman for Consumers Energy Co. Because Monday’s gas leak was outside in the open and dissipating rapidly, the chances of a fire were reduced, he said. Emergency crews blocked Midland Road, east of Moll Street and at Auburn Road, while Consumers Energy workers stopped the leak and worked to repair the line. Auburn-Williams Fire Chief Mike Snyder said the Auburn Police Department, Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Monitor Township Fire Department also helped keep traffic away from the area. Snyder said staff at the daycare center handled the evacuation quickly and calmly. “We were exceptionally pleased with how that went,” he said. Sheri Dufresne, program director of Ready, Set, Grow!, said, “There was an incredibly loud hissing noise,” coming from the gas line but everyone worked together well to make sure the children were kept safe. Dufresne said the husband of one of the daycare’s employees is the pastor at Auburn United Methodist Church, so a note was stuck to the door and the children set out on a four-block adventure to the church. “It was fabulous. Jim Klann, the officer in town, he helped us out,” she said, adding that some of the construction workers from across the street also offered their assistance. “Everyone was wonderful.” Dufresne said the children, who ranged in age from a couple months to 11 years, were taken to the church in groups, some walking and others in strollers. “We couldn’t use cars,” she said. Dufresne said she left the door to the daycare and nursery school unlocked in case a parent heard about the gas leak and rushed over. The note on the door informed parents where their children were. “It’s a small community, so everyone knows where Auburn United Methodist is,” she said. She said the evacuation lasted about two hours. “Just to be on the safe side,” Dufresne said. Auburn Police Chief Jim Klann said nobody was home at the two houses south of the daycare center, so they didn’t need to be evacuated. He said Heather Downs, an apartment complex to the north, wasn’t evacuated because the northeast winds didn’t blow the gas toward the apartments. “Because of the location of the daycare, that was priority one – to get the kids out,” he said. Snyder said some homes on the south side of the Midland Road were also notified, in case they needed to evacuate.

Man Killed In Construction Accident

A 19-year-old man is dead after a construction accident on North Island Tuesday. The man was working for a private company that’s building a Navy pier. He was in a trench when part of a concrete wall collapsed, and he was crushed by a 500-pound support structure. Co-workers were able to free him and perform CPR but without success. The victim was from Napa, Calif.

Farm worker freed from trench

Crews from Tayside Fire Brigade helped free the man

A man is recovering in hospital after being buried in a trench at a Perthshire farm for three hours. The unnamed 34-year-old man, a partner in the farm business, was working in the ditch on Feddal Farm near Braco when it collapsed on him at about 1530BST on Saturday. A mini-digger was being used to dig the ditch to lay a pipe in the Whistlebrae area of the farm at the time of the accident. Fire, ambulance and police services went to the scene and the man was eventually pulled free at 1830BST. A spokeswoman for Tayside Fire Brigade said he was covered in up to 15ft of earth. He was eventually freed after rescue teams used diggers and shovels to release him – although trapped upright and completely covered he had been able to talk to his rescuers. He was taken by air ambulance to Stirling Royal Infirmary, where his condition is said to be stable.

Drainage Ditch Caves In, Killing Worker in Va.

By Tom Jackman, Washington Post Staff Writer, Wednesday, July 25, 2001

One worker died and another was rescued by Fairfax County firefighters yesterday when a trench they were digging behind a new home in Dranesville collapsed on top of them, fire and police officials said. The names of the two workers were not released yesterday pending notification of family members. The worker who survived, a 16-year-old male, was flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital with breathing difficulties and was released yesterday afternoon. The accident occurred about noon in the new Cedar Chase subdivision near Route 7 and Reston Avenue. The two workers were digging a French drain, consisting of gravel and pipe, to provide drainage behind the house, at 11620 Cedar Chase Rd. A backhoe also was operating nearby when the trench, about seven feet deep, collapsed on the two workers, Fairfax police Lt. Bruce Guth said. Investigators did not know whether vibrations from the backhoe contributed to the trench cave-in, Guth said. Officials at G.H. Wolff Jr. Excavating of Warrenton, which was performing the job, did not return a call yesterday seeking comment. The older of the two workers was completely covered by dirt, while the teenager was trapped up to his chest, Fairfax fire Lt. Lorenzo Thrower said. Firefighters from a newly opened station nearby were dispatched and were working on the teenager within moments. But the other worker was dead when they arrived, Thrower said, killed either by the pressure of the dirt or by suffocation. The backhoe operator and the homeowner ran to help the two men, and the backhoe operator was slightly injured trying to help, Thrower said. “When the ground collapses,” Thrower said, “you’re dealing with the same amount of weight as a vehicle. With several hundred pounds of dirt, that’s a lot of pressure impeding your ability to breathe.” An investigator from the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry was at the scene yesterday afternoon but declined to comment.

UPDATE, Buried alive in accident, a workaholic sees the light

A Des Moines man’s pace and priorities change after a brush with death.

By MAGGIE O’BRIEN, Register Staff Writer, 07/19/2001

William Major’s two little girls will have a new softball coach this fall: their dad. Coaching is one way Major can spend more time with his daughters, Samantha, 8, and Danielle, 6. He wouldn’t have done it a few months ago. Major, of Des Moines, said he was a workaholic who moved “110 miles an hour, all the time.” He has changed since June 6, when a trench at an Urbandale residence collapsed on him. Major was buried alive for five hours under several feet of dirt. Major will return to work at Chas. W. Goering plumbing on July 30 if his doctor approves. He has rested at his home in the 700 block of Boyd Street since his release from the hospital two days after the incident. Major said the brush with death was an eye-opener. “I’m not going to run around and work all the time,” Major said this week. “I’m going to spend more time with the girls, whether it be softball or Brownies or dancing.” Are the girls glad their dad plans to be around more? “Yes!” the duo screamed in unison. “We’ve always been family-oriented, but he’s more so now,” said Major’s wife, Carmen. Major, 36, was installing a sewer line at 7418 Dennis Drive in Urbandale when the dirt walls of a 10=-foot-deep trench collapsed. Major crouched down and created an air pocket beneath him. Rescue workers credited his quick thinking with saving his life. Major has had physical therapy twice a week for shoulder and back pain. He said he feels stronger every day. Major said he planned to slow down at work. Formerly, he worked until a job was done, avoiding breaks. Safety is more important now, he said. “I’ve thought about correcting myself, not rushing myself,” he said. “I’m really going to keep my eye on safety. You don’t stop to think about the consequences. “It happened in the blink of an eye. I’m going to be more cautious.” The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the plumbing company are investigating the accident. Rescue officials said the trench lacked supports used to prevent cave-ins. The company said its policy is to use supports to brace the walls of trenches. Mary L. Bryant, OSHA bureau administrator, said the investigation into the accident was continuing. Major’s boss, Ken Goering, was on vacation and unavailable for comment. Major does not fault the company and said he would work in trenches again. The collapse, he said, was an accident. “I’m not a betting man, and I don’t even want to think about what the odds of it happening again would be,” he said. Major is eager to work again. He has visited friends at work several times since the accident. “I’ve gone down there a few times to get out of her hair,” he said, motioning to his wife. “I feel very rested and ready to get back to work.”

Gas Leak Forces Evacuations in San Francisco

David Mills

A gas leak in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco forced evacuations of four buildings. A contractor’s backhoe apparently broke a two-inch gas main about 9:20am near the intersection of Union and Leavenworth. Twenty people in four buildings were evacuated as PG&E crews worked to cap the leak. There was no fire or explosion, and no injuries were reported. The leak was capped just after noon, and residents were allowed to return to their homes.

Plumbing contractor dies after collapse of sewer trench

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — State safety inspectors are investigating the death of a construction worker who died here Tuesday after a trench collapsed on him. Richard P. James, 55, and his two adult sons were installing sewer lines for a new housing development when the trench collapsed, said Northfield Police Chief Gary Smith. The sons, and other construction workers, used a backhoe to remove most of the soil. The men were digging James out with their hands by the time Northfield police arrived. James was underground for five to seven minutes before his body was pulled out, ashen but with no visible injuries, Smith said. James was later pronounced dead at Northfield Hospital. “It was very unusual,” Smith said. “You seldom see trenching accidents these days.” Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration spokesman James Honerman said the agency will interview witnesses and examine how the trench was sloped and what shields were in place. With training and protective measures, Honerman said, most trenching accidents can be prevented. OSHA workers were at the scene on Tuesday to collect soil samples. Results of the investigation won’t be available for at least two weeks, Honerman said. Mike Reedy, James’ brother-in-law, said the family didn’t want to comment on the death. The funeral will be held in Northfield on Saturday, he said.

Ky. worker is rescued after trench collapses

By Craig Garretson, Post staff reporter

A worker trapped for more than 10 hours Thursday after a trench collapsed on him in Crittenden was finally freed early this morning, with relatively minor injuries from the ordeal. The worker, identified as Donnie Thacker of Shelbiana, Ky., was buried in clay-like dirt and gravel above his waist when the roadside trench he was working in partially collapsed about 2 p.m. Thursday, said Crittenden Fire Chief Steve Hyden. The man was airlifted to University Hospital after rescue personnel pulled him from the trench a few minutes after midnight. He is listed in serious condition. Workers were installing sewer pipe on Violet Road in front of the U-Save Auto Rental, off Dixie Highway in Crittenden, when the collapse occurred. Hyden said the worker was the only man in the trench at the time, but co-workers quickly came to his aid. The 27-year-old Pike County, Ky., man was conscious throughout the ordeal, telling firefighters he felt pain in his back, pelvis and leg. He was given oxygen and fluids through an IV to prevent dehydration. He eventually asked firefighters for a shovel so he could help dig himself out, Hyden said. ”He looks like a groundhog. He’s throwing dirt left and right,” Hyden said. But for the most part, progress was painstakingly slow. To avoid further injury to the worker, rescuers dug him out over a period of 10 hours using garden tools. ”If we were to quickly remove all that pressure from his legs, his blood pressure would drop to nothing and he could go into cardiac arrest,” Hyden said. Rescue workers also wanted to avoid further collapsing the trench. Every few minutes, the excavated dirt would be sucked out by the Sanitation District No. 1’s Vactor 2000, a truck equipped with an enormous vacuum. ”One false move and we could have a secondary cave-in,” Hyden said. ”In a situation like this, it goes in quick but comes out slow.” Once the dirt was sucked out, airbags and wooden planks – donated by Crittenden Lumber and Supply – were pushed in to shore up the sides of the trench. Hyden said the man wasn’t a city or county employee, but didn’t know what company he worked for. He said he didn’t know if the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) would investigate the collapse. Publication date: 07-13-01

Two teens hurt when trench collapses

By Bill O’Brien Daily Herald Staff Writer, Posted on July 10, 2001

Two 16-year-old boys were in serious condition Monday night after a trench they were digging next to a house in North Barrington collapsed, leaving both partially buried. The teens, who were doing summer work for a local contractor, were in the 7-foot trench at about 4:50 p.m. in the Wynstone subdivision when the ground caved inward, said Fire Chief David Dato of the Wauconda Rural Fire Protection District. “Both subjects, with the exception of their heads, were substantially covered by earth and ground,” said Dato, whose department led the rescue. The boys, Francisco Rosas of Round Lake Beach, and Iban Garza of Round Lake, were flown by Flight for Life helicopter to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where they were listed in serious condition. Both worked during the summer for Spring Grove-based R.C. Concrete Concepts, one of the contractors involved in building the new white and gray stone house at 58 Hillburn Lane. The construction of the house is nearly complete, and Rosas and Garza were apparently conducting foundation work, digging the trench by hand. The trench apparently was not shored up in any way, Dato said. When the ground caved in, other construction workers started digging the boys out, trying to put up wooden pallets as they worked to protect themselves. When rescue workers arrived, they too dug, installing wooden and steel bracing to protect both themselves and the victims. At about 6:10 p.m., Rosas was removed, but it was an hour later before Garza was completely uncovered and removed. The helicopter that flew them to Lutheran General landed on the practice range of the Wynstone golf course first, said Rosemary Luby, who also lives on Hillburn Lane. Both Rosas and Garza, whose injuries included those to the legs and pelvis, were both conscious during the entire ordeal, Dato said. They were expected to recover quickly, said a Lutheran General spokesman. Rosas’ sister, Yesenia, 14, said her brother, who will be a junior at Round Lake High School, recently took the job at R.C. Concrete to earn some extra money over his summer vacation. “He only started five weeks ago,” she said. “It was just a summer job.” Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration arrived on the scene late Monday to begin an investigation into whether federal work rules were followed. “A rule of thumb for contractors is, if you’re going to be underground, is there probably should have been some safety measures in place,” Dato said. It was not immediately clear, however, whether a trench box or other supporting bracing was required by law to be in place during this particular incident. A worker at R.C. Concrete confirmed that both of the 16-year-old boys were employed by the company, but refused to comment on the situation. Daily Herald staff writer Kat Zeman contributed to this story.

Worker injured when trench wall collapses

UNION-TRIBUNE, July 6, 2001

POWAY — A construction worker suffered a hip injury when a dirt wall of a 5-foot-deep trench collapsed on him yesterday, fire officials said. Co-workers dug him out and firefighters strapped him into a basket litter to haul him out of the trench. He was taken to a San Diego hospital, where a spokeswoman said he was in fair condition. His name was not available. The trench, for a water or sewer line, was being dug across the parking lot of a Danielson Street construction site adorned with a banner “Future home of Gateway Computers.” About 3 p.m., a section of trench wall about 6 feet long collapsed on the worker, pinning his legs, said Poway Fire Capt. Kevin Hitchcock. The rescue took about 20 minutes. Hitchcock said state industrial safety officials have been notified of the accident.

The Dunback lime kilns accident

The Dunback lime kilns accident has thrown quite a gloom over the district, and widespread sympathy is felt towards the relatives of the victims. When the news spread that the men were entombed, dozens volunteered for the relief work and all last night over 100 willing hands were engaged in digging the men out. It was not expected that any would be got out alive, and about 3 o’clock this morning the worst fears were realised. The bodies of Murray and Flynn were found close together. The former was pinned behind the truck, and had evidently been suffocated. Flynn’s body was knocked about by the falling earth and stones, and was terribly bruised. His death must have been instantaneous. Hannah was found, badly crushed, nearer the end of the cutting, and appearances indicated that he had made a dash for the rope at the face, but was caught by the falling debris and shared the fate of his comrades. The scene of the accident was a deep cutting over 60ft long which was being excavated for the purpose of constructing a new lime kiln. Men have been working at the cutting for the past six months, and it was intended to drive a tunnel in from the head of the cutting. The entrance of the cutting is about 18ft wide, and narrows in to about 12ft at the head. The banks must be 30ft high. The formation is of a loose, gravelly nature, and under the circumstances there is some comment that the sides of the cutting were not strongly braced with timber. Instead of this, it is alleged they were supported by a few pieces of board. Wednesday, 4-July 2001 This material is published in the Online Edition.

UPDATE, Injured workers released; Holt closed

The three Harrison sewer workers injured when a ditch caved in Tuesday morning were all treated and released from North Arkansas Regional Medical Center, a spokesman said. City workers Bob Choate, T.J. Eddings and Mike Crow were inside a ditch cut across Holt Avenue between Spruce and Liberty streets to install a sewer line when the ditch collapsed and completely buried Choate. Arnold Rogers, city waste water manager, said Choate basically was in a seated position when the ditch caved and was covered by about 12-18 inches of dirt. At the time, Choate’s hard hat fell over his face and gave him a little extra air as co-workers used their hands to dig him free. “That’s gosh awful lucky,” Rogers said. A Harrison Police report shows street department officials reported Tuesday afternoon that Holt Avenue will be closed until further notice. Rogers said workers are traumatized by the event, but they hope to get back to work Thursday. He also said they were about five feet from completing the project when the ditch caved in. As such, it is possible Holt could be re-opened by the weekend, he said. Rogers said Choate suffered a broken ankle in the incident. Rogers went on to say that he recalls similar incidents across the country in which workers have been injured or killed, but he hopes nothing like this happens again. “I never want to see it again,” he said. ©Harrison Daily Times 2001

Trench Collapses, Worker Injured

Worker In Hutchinson Buried Up To His Waist

HUTCHINSON, Minn., 2:40 p.m. CDT June 26, 2001 — A worker is recovering after a trench collapsed during a city street reconstruction project in Hutchinson. The worker was taken to the Hutchinson hospital after Monday’s accident. His name and condition have not been released. Rescue workers were called just after 2 p.m. when the wall of a 14-foot utility trench caved in on the worker. Fire Chief Brad Emans says the force of the cave-in slammed the worker into the other side of the trench and buried him up to his waist. Officials with OSHA were notified and are meeting with city officials.

Trench collapse kills 1, injures 1

By Paul McKibben, Betty Beard and Charles Kelly; The Arizona Republic

June 22, 2001 12:00:00

GILBERT – One man was killed and another injured Thursday when a trench collapsed on them in an increasingly common type of construction accident. The men were installing a sewer for a Shea Homes development north of the intersection of Higley and Chandler Heights roads in south Gilbert. They were working in a safety box, a metal container designed to prevent them from being buried if the walls of the 35-foot-deep trench collapsed, said Rick Weigele, a spokesman for the Gilbert Fire Department. Jose Guadalupe Gonzalez, 31, was pronounced dead at the scene, said Deputy Bill Knight, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The second victim, Juan Estrada, 28, was treated at Desert Samaritan Medical Center for a fractured leg and released Thursday afternoon. Knight said Gonzalez was working outside the safety box when the trench collapsed at about 9:30 a.m. Gonzalez initially was buried at least to his shoulders. Minutes after the first collapse, the trench collapsed again, burying him at least 5 feet deep. Gonzalez is survived by a wife and child in Mexico, Knight said. His brother also was working at the site during the cave-in. The victims worked for Tyers Contracting Inc. in Phoenix, according to fire officials and a representative of Shea Homes. Tyers has been licensed to do business since 1987, according to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. The state agency has no record of complaints against the company in the past two years. Company officials declined to comment. Lora Janzik, an attorney for Shea Homes, also declined to comment. The state Occupational Safety and Health Division was investigating the incident, but Darin Perkins, division director, said it typically takes two to three months to find the cause of fatal industrial accidents and decide whether a company should be fined. Trench deaths are on the upswing, he said. The division is investigating a similar death that occurred last month in Scottsdale. “In the early to mid-1990s we didn’t see many,” Perkins said. “There were years when we didn’t have any fatalities at all. Then we had four in 1999, which is quite a large number.” Last year, Perkins’ agency logged one trench collapse that was fatal and three that weren’t. To push contractors to improve safety, the agency has been hitting them hard with fines. During the 12 months that ended Sept. 20, the division conducted 108 inspections for possible trenching violations, about 13 percent of all inspections. But trenching violations accounted for 40 percent of all safety penalties levied during that period, $680,000 out of $1.7 million in total fines, Perkins said. The record fine for such a violation was issued the year before. Agate Construction Co. of Scottsdale was assessed a $335,250 fine after a 23-year-old Mexican national worker was buried alive in January 1999 when a stream of water from a broken sewer pipe poured into a trench on a stretch of freeway at 90th Street and Shea Boulevard.

Man saved from trench collapse

By ERIC COLLINS, Staff Writer

A 55-year-old Severna Park man who dug a trench for a home improvement project was rescued by county firefighters yesterday after the trench collapsed and trapped him for about 2 hours, county fire officials said. The incident brought a small army of firefighters to the backyard of David Heron in the quiet Chartwell neighborhood, where fire engines lined the streets, TV cameras tracked every move, neighbors gawked and a news helicopter circled from above. Despite all the attention, Mr. Heron was unhurt, with his lawn suffering the brunt of the injuries. “We can replant the grass,” said Peggy Heron, his wife. “That was the least of my worries.” Mr. Heron had spent most of the morning yesterday digging the 8-foot deep by 2-foot wide trench with a shovel at his home in the 500 block of Devonshire Court. He was trying to make room so a mason could fix a retaining wall that supports a back yard entrance to his basement. But just as he was finished with the laborious project around 1:30 p.m., the sandy soil collapsed around him, trapping the 5-foot 8-inch man up to his armpits, he said. “It happened so fast,” said Mr. Heron, a Postal Service worker who has lived in his two-story brick and frame home for 11 years. “I think I might have panicked if it (came) higher.” With the help of his wife and their son, Chris, Mr. Heron was able to dig down to his waist after about 30 minutes. But he was afraid the rest of the trench or the wall would topple down on him and decided to call authorities. When firefighters arrived shortly after 2 p.m., they found him still digging away, with the dirt trapping his legs, said Division Chief John M. Scholz, a county Fire Department spokesman. Crews from the county Collapse Rescue Team helped secure the retaining wall and trench with ropes and wooden boards while eight members of the Howard County rescue squad stood by as backup, Chief Scholz said. With oxygen pumping into the hole through a large yellow hose, firefighters worked from the side of the trench to help Mr. Heron dig himself out — one bucket at at time. By 4 p.m., crews began tossing around other rescue plans, such as using a county Department of Public Works vacuum truck to suck up the dirt. However, before the vacuum truck was hooked up, Mr. Heron had dug out enough dirt to free himself. “Once I got my right foot out, it was easy,” said Mr. Heron, wearing glasses, a soiled T-shirt, shorts and New Balance running shoes. Paramedics check him out, but Mr. Heron declined to be taken to an area hospital for an evaluation. Meanwhile, his son — unimpressed with the whole spectacle — questioned his father’s home improvement skill. “This time he got a little in over his head, literally,” the 22-year-old man said.

Plumbing worker saved from accidental burial

By Patrick Flanigan Democrat and Chronicle

SPENCERPORT (Wednesday, June 13, 2001) — A plumbing contractor was buried up to his neck in Spencerport yesterday when a pile of dirt collapsed into a seven-foot hole. Phil Potter, 24, whose address was not available, was in the emergency room at Strong Memorial Hospital yesterday afternoon. His condition was not known, but emergency crews said he had a strong pulse and appeared uninjured when he was put in an ambulance. “He was doing pretty well, for being buried,” said Rick Wolfe, deputy chief of the Spencerport Fire District. Michael Carr, a worker for Paul H. Hartmann Plumbing, said he, Potter and Cliff Turlington were installing a sewer line for a Prospect Street house when the hole collapsed shortly before noon. Potter went down a ladder into the hole when Carr noticed the pile of dirt was collapsing. Potter scrambled back up the ladder, but the dirt pile and a concrete sidewalk slab slammed into him, pinning him against the wall, Carr said. He and Turlington – who was operating a backhoe — began digging Potter out, and had removed the dirt down to his waist when the emergency crews arrived. Spencerport building inspectors issued a stop-work order at the site until the Occupational Safety and Health Administration could inspect the excavation, Wolfe said.

UPDATE: Trench lacked safety braces before cave-in

By TARA DEERING and MELISSA MYERS

The trench that collapsed and buried a worker in Urbandale lacked supports used to prevent such cave-ins, officials said Thursday. The Des Moines plumbing company doing the work and state workplace-safety authorities were investigating the accident. Urbandale Fire Chief Jerry Holt said the trench lacked proper supports when rescuers arrived at the cave-in on Wednesday. They had to request equipment to build supports as they worked to find William Major, who was trapped underneath several feet of dirt. Major’s employer said company policy is to use supports to hold the walls of trenches. “We’re trying to review why there wasn’t any shoring holding up the banks,” said Ken Goering, president of Chas. W. Goering plumbing contractors. “Once we find what’s wrong, we’ll take the necessary steps to fix it.” Investigators with the Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration studied the accident site Thursday. Major, 36, was installing a sewer line at 7418 Dennis Drive when the dirt walls of the 10½-foot-deep trench collapsed. He crouched down and created an air pocket beneath him, which rescue workers credit for saving his life. Except for some pain in his hip and numbness in his feet, Major said Thursday he was feeling much better. He said he was looking forward to having a beer. “They wouldn’t let me out today,” he said from a wheelchair during a news conference at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. The nine-year employee of Goering plumbing said he doubts he will work in another trench any time soon. “Not without a whole lot of safety precautions,” he said. Goering plumbing continued work at the site Thursday, filling in the trench that almost took Major’s life. Mary Bryant, administrator of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said her agency usually investigates cave-ins of trenches more than 5 feet deep. She said several precautions are required in such work, such as shoring the sides of a trench, using a portable box that protects the worker by holding up the dirt walls, and digging a trench so its sides slope. Bryant said companies found in serious violation of safety guidelines can receive a maximum fine of $7,000. Goering said all of his employees who dig trenches are extensively trained to follow proper procedures. He said this is the first time that such an incident has happened in the 69 years the company has been in business. “Our company standards in most cases exceed OSHA requirements,” he said. “Our policy is, when in doubt, we shore it.” Major said he did not know the wall was collapsing until it was too late. “I had no idea the wall had broken loose until it started to push me against the other side,” he said. Major said that while he was buried, many things raced through his mind. He choked back tears as he said he thought of his family and friends. He said his four-hour entrapment seemed to pass quickly. He said he could hear his co-workers above him after he was buried. “I originally heard my guys screaming ‘Hang on!” ” he said. “I could hear the rescuers every time they dropped the bucket on my head. They kept saying, ‘Hold on! Hold on!’ and I kept saying, ‘Hurry! Hurry!” ” he said Thursday. Major said he worked hard to control his breathing. He said his first-aid training as a military policeman for the Iowa Army National Guard helped him remain calm. He said he tried at one point to help dig with his hands, but quickly stopped after realizing he was using what little air he had in the confined space. “Just before they punched through I was getting a little wheezy,” he said. Major joked that it was rude of emergency workers to have expected to find him dead. “I don’t believe you should write anybody off,” he said. Carmen Major, his wife, was at the scene when he was freed. She said Thursday that the previous day was a blur. “To be real honest, I was strictly in shock,” she said. “I don’t think I showed a whole lot of emotion until today.” The rare outcome, she said – with her husband not only surviving but dodging major injuries – was attributable to one factor: “The Lord was looking down on us yesterday.”

Worker Trapped 40 Feet Down Hole Dies Despite Rescue Attempts

Firefighters who worked feverishly for hours to retrieve a construction worker trapped in a 40-foot-deep hole reached the man Tuesday night, only to discover he had died. The man fell into the 4-foot-diameter hole about 1 p.m. and was quickly covered with soil, Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. By 5 p.m. firefighters had removed about 15 feet of soil. They reached him about two hours later, Humphrey said. “We dug quickly away from his face and chest, but essentially he was without any vital signs of life,” he said. It appeared the man died immediately after falling feet-first into the hole, Humphrey said. An autopsy would be conducted to determine the exact cause of death. The man, described as being in his 30s and from the Long Beach area, was identified as an employee of Malcolm Drilling, a contractor on the $2.4 billion Alameda Corridor, a 20-mile rail project linking the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with downtown. Two inspectors from the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration were sent to the accident site, said Dean Fryer, a spokesman for the agency. There have been two other major industrial accidents on the rail project, Fryer said. A surveyor with the contracting firm Tutor-Saliba Corp. died May 25 when he was run over by a grading machine, Fryer said. Another Malcolm Drilling employee was severely injured in July 2000 when a crane he was rigging touched a power line. The construction of the Alameda Corridor requires a lengthy concrete trench that will keep rail cargo separate from vehicle traffic. It is scheduled to be finished by the end of 2002.

Crews free worker from muddy mix

By MURRAY GLENN

Staff Writer

Donald Pearce got himself into a muddy mess Thursday morning that stopped traffic on a busy west-side highway for about an hour. Pearce was planting a silt fence in a culvert along the shoulder of Highway 295 when he sank up to his waist in mud about 9 a.m. The accident occurred near Peeler & Sons paint and body shop. Co-workers tried to dig him out for about an hour before the hole started filling up with water from a nearby drain. Emergency crews from Spartanburg County Emergency Medical Services, the North Spartanburg Fire Department and the Westview-Fairforest Fire Department labored for another hour to free the victim. Westview-Fairforest Fire Chief Danny Knight said the mud, which had gravel mixed in it, created a suction-like effect that created a challenge for crews. Four or five firefighters used shovels and other hand tools to free the victim. Crews also used pumps and buckets to direct the water away from Pearce. At one point, crews put an oxygen mask over Pearce’s face when he started to show signs of exhaustion. Once he was freed from the mud, Pearce walked back to the shoulder of the road and told bystanders he was doing OK. He thanked rescue workers for their effort and he started making plans to return to work. Pearce is part of a crew working to expand Highway 295 from two to four lanes between John B. White Sr. Boulevard and Highway 221. Murray Glenn can be reached at 582-4511, Ext. 7214 or [email protected]

Construction worker dies; Man was installing 2-ton sewer pipe in Bloomingdale

By Heather Vogell, Tribune staff reporter , May 17, 2001

A construction worker died Wednesday while installing a 2-ton sewer pipe in Bloomingdale, although authorities must wait for autopsy results to determine whether he was crushed by the pipe or died from natural causes. Roberto Dorado, 50, of the 100 block of East Palatine Road, Palatine, was declared dead at the scene, according to the DuPage County coroner’s office. Rescue workers had to wait more than three hours before removing the man’s body from a trench along Knollwood Drive near West Army Trail Road. They were afraid the trench’s walls would collapse. An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration began investigating. Bloomingdale Fire Lt. Nels Olson said the man and a supervisor on a backhoe were lowering a concrete cylinder into the trench just before 12:30 p.m. when “something happened.” A passerby who heard the supervisor screaming for help jumped into the trench and tried to administer CPR to the man, who was up to his knees in dirt and lying on his left side in the 10-foot-deep hole. The passerby could not feel a pulse, though he tried to resuscitate the man for about five minutes, Olson said. When emergency workers arrived, they saw that the packed dirt walls of the trench had not been reinforced and feared a cave in. They pulled the passerby out, Olson said. Rescuers relied on the passerby’s word that the man was dead, Olson said. Had they believed the man was alive, rescuers could have lowered a rope or harness into the hole. Instead, they waited for a steel-reinforced box, called a trench box, to be brought from another construction site. They then fitted it into the trench before lowering personnel down to the man using a cable strung from a ladder truck. Several phone lines feeding a nearby office building had to be cut before the trench box could be fitted. Olson said authorities received conflicting reports about what happened in the trench. Though a 911 call reported that the man had been trapped when the trench walls gave way, a collapse did not occur, he said. The sewer line was being installed by A&A Sewer, Water and Excavating of McHenry. It leads to a planned hotel development. The supervisor at the construction site declined to comment, except to say the incident was unfortunate and he was praying for the man’s family. Bay Pahati, a safety compliance officer with OSHA, said the agency had not determined whether the company violated safety rules.

Worker dies in cave-in

By Justin Kmitch Daily Herald Staff Writer; Posted on May 17, 2001

An excavation worker lay partially buried in a 10-foot-deep sewer trench for four hours Wednesday in Bloomingdale before rescue officials were able to recover his body. Roberto Dorado, 50, a Palatine resident, was killed in the accident. Bloomingdale Fire Protection District Lt. Nels Olson said two people were installing sewer lines in a trench on the east side of Knollwood Drive, just north of Army Trail Road, at 12:33 p.m. when the accident happened. It took Bloomingdale firefighters and paramedics three minutes to reach the trench, Olson said. But they were kept from entering the trench for more than three hours because the side walls were not properly supported by a steel box that would have kept the walls of clay from caving in, he said. It took several hours for rescuers to get a trench box that would fit in the hole. Boxes brought in from the Bloomingdale and Roselle fire districts were too short, and rescuers were concerned the walls still might cave in from above. Finally, a box was brought in from a contractor doing a separate local project. “It’s district policy that we do not enter a trench or ditch that does not have supported walls, because we don’t want to become victims ourselves while attempting a rescue,” Olson said. The firefighters were shocked to find someone giving the victim CPR when they arrived, he said. The man apparently had walked outside a nearby restaurant, heard screams and ran to the trench. The firefighters told him it wasn’t safe to be in there, so he walked out of the hole, told them the man had no pulse, and disappeared, Olson said. The accident happened as an A&A Sewer-Water Excavating crew from McHenry was installing sewer lines adjacent to property that will soon be home to a Marriott Courtyard hotel and a Marriott Residence Inn. A person who answered the phone at A&A Sewer hung up on calls seeking comment on the accident. The man identified by Olson as the site supervisor also declined to comment. Olson said firefighters heard differing accounts of the fatal accident from crew members. Rescuers believe the victim was working in the trench, without a hard hat, attempting to connect two 2.5-ton concrete sewer pipes, Olson said. One pipe was in the ground, and the other pipe may have been hanging by cables over the victim’s head as it was being lowered into the trench, he said. One witness account said the victim was hit in the head with the hanging pipe, and he collapsed and got lodged knee-deep into the clay at the bottom of the hole, Olson said. In the other witness account, the victim may have been crushed between the hanging concrete piece and the north wall of the trench before getting buried knee-deep in wet clay, Olson said. “I’m not committing to either scenario, because the entire incident is being investigated by OSHA, the DuPage County coroner’s office and the Bloomingdale Fire Protection District,” he said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating but might not have a decision for a couple of months, OSHA area director Charlie Shields said. If safety violations are found, the fines could run up to a maximum of $7,000 per violation, Shields said. Willful violations could be penalized with a fine of up to $70,000, he said. There’s a possibility for multiple violations, but there’s no correlation between death or injury and the fine total, Shields said. “It’s not intended to be punitive,” Shields said. “Sometimes fatalities happen and there’s no violation.” He said Wednesday’s accident is the first cave-in death in DuPage County reported to OSHA since July 1994. Nine out of 10 death-related cases involve a violation, Shields said. OSHA fined A&A Sewer-Water Excavating in 1994 for serious hazardous violations, but none involved trench digging, Shields said. Shields said companies are not required to notify OSHA before they dig, but the agency requires trench boxes inside ditches deeper than 15 feet. The OSHA compliance inspector at the scene, Bay Pahati, said the A&A Sewer trench was 10 feet deep. OSHA could spend the next few months talking to witnesses, taking photographs of the scene and gathering soil samples, Pahati said. Coroner’s office officials would not comment on the death, but an autopsy is scheduled for this morning.

Worker Dies In Backhoe Accident; Lifeflight Called To Construction Site

FOREST GROVE, Ore., 6:26 p.m. PDT May 10, 2001 — A backhoe flipped over, killing a worker at a construction site near Forest Grove Thursday. The backhoe trapped the worker late Thursday afternoon at a new home site. Lifeflight was called to the scene, but emergency medical technicians were unable to revive the victim, KOIN 6 News reports. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

Construction employee killed by ‘wave of dirt’ at work site

Stephanie A. Miller, The Arizona Republic; May. 10, 2001

A Phoenix man was buried alive Wednesday morning at a northeast Scottsdale construction site. Raymundo Perez-Moreno, 36, a construction worker, was killed at about 9 a.m. in the 10500 block of East Desert Hills Drive when a wall of dirt approximately 35 feet high and 30 feet wide collapsed, authorities said. Desert Hills Drive intersects with Cave Creek Road in the northernmost part of Scottsdale, a couple of miles east of Carefree. A co-worker told authorities that “a wave of dirt” covered Perez-Moreno, who the witness said was advised by their supervisor not to return to the area because it was unsafe. Perez-Moreno was an employee of Blucor Contracting Inc. The company could not be reached for comment. The Gilbert-based construction company was issued four citations last November by the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health for violation of several safety regulations. Blucor is contesting the citations, said Pat Ryan, assistant director of the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health. OSHA compliance officers are investigating Wednesday’s incident and will determine if the company violated any OSHA guidelines, Ryan said. Authorities are uncertain what project the construction crew was working on or why Perez-Moreno returned to the area. The victim’s body was removed Wednesday at 3:40 p.m. by the Rural/Metro Fire Department and released to the medical examiner. Reporter Sarah Anchors contributed to this article.

Construction worker dies in trench collapse

WENTZVILLE (AP) — A construction worker died Friday afternoon after the walls of a trench collapsed on him, crushing him below the neck, authorities in St. Charles County said. The construction crew was installing sewer lines for a new subdivision. The 39-year-old, a worker for a St. Peters company called Pipeworks, was in a trench about 11 feet deep. A rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after the collapse and reported that the victim was buried in dirt up to his shoulders. ”The biggest thing is the dirt pressing against you and it smashes the wind out of you. Cuts off the circulation,” said Deputy Chief Bill Cook, spokesman for the Wentzville Fire Protection District.

Trenching and Excavation Accidents; Worker pulled from trench after being trapped 3 hours

04/28/01 By PATRICK O’DONNELL

BEACHWOOD – Bobby Burks moved quickly when he spotted a crack in the dirt wall of the trench. Henry “Bud” Simon didn’t. A step slow to react to his employee’s warning, Simon, 70, was trapped several feet below ground level yesterday morning when the walls of a work trench he dug alongside a house foundation collapsed. Intending to waterproof the foundation, he was instead buried to his waist in heavy dirt and clay, unable to move his legs and able only to shout to Burks for help. “He just kept saying, Hurry up,’ ” Burks said. But Simon had a long wait. He spent three hours trapped in the hole alongside a house in the 25000 block of Halburton Rd. before rescue crews could pull him free. As rescuers shored up the trench walls with metal plates and braces, a rescue helicopter landed at the nearby Chagrin Rd. fire station. Because of Simon’s age and history of heart trouble, a medic jumped in the hole with him and inserted an IV needle in each arm during the wait. When he was pulled free shortly after 2 p.m., he waved to a crowd of cameras and cell-phone-toting neighbors calling friends to watch for them on television. In response to shouted questions as he was whisked away.

Trench collapse injures worker

By Kate Leckie

News-Post Staff

MIDDLETOWN – A construction worker doing underground utility work at a residential development site in the 4200 block of Old National Pike was trapped in a trench for nearly four hours Thursday. Robert Davis, 35, of Charles Town, W.Va., suffered injuries to his pelvis area and lower legs, officials said. After he was pulled out of the trench about 1:10 p.m., Mr. Davis was flown by Maryland State Police helicopter to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore. Thursday afternoon, Mr. Davis was listed in serious but stable condition, said a trauma nursing coordinator. Employed by Woodmack Inc., Mr. Davis told rescue workers that he was standing along the 10-feet-deep trench when the ground gave way about 9:30 a.m. and he fell at the site at 4240-B Old National Pike near Hollow Road. Initially, Mr. Davis was covered up to his neck, but coworkers were able to free him to his waist and called for help, said Rick Himes, Frederick County director of emergency services. During the rescue effort, workers took turns digging in the chilly 8-feet-wide trench and administered oxygen to Mr. Davis. He remained calm and conscious throughout the ordeal but said “that it hurt” when he finally was freed, Mr. Himes said. Mr. Davis’ coworkers declined comment. “They’re still pretty well shaken,” Mr. Himes said. In a trench collapse, the greatest concerns are the strain the weight of the dirt puts on the person and the threat of hypothermia, officials said. The temperature inside the trench remained about 54 degrees, officials said. Middletown and Braddock Heights fire departments responded to the accident, along with the collapse rescue team from Montgomery County. Representatives of the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration also were notified.