Trenching & Excavation Accidents 3

Trenching & Excavation Accidents #3

updated on 05/06/2010

Trench collapses, workman dies
By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH ~ Associate Editor
What began as a rescue operation this morning ended more than two hours later after city and county crews extracted a man who was buried when the trench he was working in collapsed. According to Butler County Deputy Coroner Bruce Goin, the victim is identified as Charles Worley. Although his body wasn’t recovered until after noon today, Worley was pronounced dead at 10:48 a.m., Goin said. The cause of death was suffocation, he said. Worley reportedly worked for a private contractor, which was laying water lines to the new Missouri Department of Natural Resources building near the Westwood Village Shopping Center and the Big Kmart. The call came into the Poplar Bluff Police Department at 9:54 a.m. on a non-emergency line. Police officers and the Poplar Bluff Fire Department were both dispatched to the scene. “The call was that there was a man in a trench and the trench had collapsed on him,” said Police Sgt. Jim Gerber. “He was buried.” When Gerber arrived, “one of his co-workers met me,” he said. “(The co-worker) didn’t know where he was at. He was within a five-foot area. “We immediately started digging.” Gerber said Worley was buried under about one foot of earth, which he described as being clay. “It was wet; it was packed,” he said. As Worley’s co-workers watched, police officers, firefighters and personnel with the Butler County/Poplar Bluff Emergency Management/Homeland Security Agency began digging with shovels and hoes provided by Kmart. “We finally located a shoulder and head,” Gerber said. “We cleared the head to get air to him. Multiple ambulances from Three Rivers Healthcare were on stand by and when they began medical treatment, which include oxygen through a tube and IV liquids. “From there it was just digging,” Gerber said. Both police officers and firefighters were working closely together and “cycling continuously” in and out, said Poplar Bluff Fire Chief Randy Hastings. Poplar Bluff Street Department workers also responded to the scene and one took over operation of the contractor’s backhoe. A second backhoe, along with multiple Municipal Utilities workers, also responded. When the rescue effort turned into a recovery one, Hastings said, their main concern was making sure the trench was safe and that no one else would be hurt. “We exhausted the supplies we had, cribbing, to sure up the sides (of the trench),” Hastings said. “We had to pull other materials from elsewhere.” Street Department and Municipal Utilities crews provided the firefighters plywood and blocks to sure up the sides of the trench so the recovery effort could continue, Hastings said. According to Hastings, there was a water line, which was causing problems and making the situation dangerous. Water Department employees shut off the line, he said. “It was a team effort by all the city departments trying to help out and it was greatly appreciated,” Hastings said.

Airport Hotel Evacuated
Emergency crews responded to the scene of a gas leak at Logan International Airport about 9:15 a.m. Wednesday morning when a construction crew at Terminal E was ruptured a 4 inch gas line. The Hilton Hotel near the terminal was evacuated for about an hour and traffic was diverted around the area. The gas main to the entire airport was shut-down so crews could fix the problem. Flights were not affected, but concessions within the terminals were without gas.

Hotel Evacuated After Gas Main Break
Boston fire officials evacuated 1,500 people from the Seaport Hotel area of south Boston Tuesday morning following an apparent gas main break. No one was reported injured in the break and the evacuation was undertaken as a precautionary measure. Officials said the break occurred about 7:30 a.m. when a construction company hit an 8-inch gas main near Seaport Lane and Congress Street. The office building at 2 Seaport Lane was also evacuated, but the gas valve was shut off and workers should be able to get to their offices by 9 a.m., emergency workers said. 

Gas Line Severed; Nearby Residents Evacuated
A gas-main leak forced evacuations in a Tri-State neighborhood Thursday morning. onstruction crews severed a gas line near the intersection of Langdon Farm Road and Wiehe Road in Roselawn just before 8:30 a.m. , WLWT Eyewitness News 5 reported. Several homes and businesses in the area were evacuated as a precaution, but there are no reports of injuries. The line that ruptured is a 12-inch gas-main. A private contractor was working on the line when it was severed, WLWT reported. Cinergy needed about 30 minutes to stop the flow of gas to the line.

UPDATE, Worker’s Death at Franklinton Worksite Brings OSHA Penalties of $64,050
DALLAS — A Baton Rouge company’s alleged failure to protect employees from trench cave-ins has resulted in the death of one employee and proposed penalties of $64,050 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. General Engineering & Environmental Companies Inc., headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., was cited with four alleged safety violations following an OSHA inspection that began Feb. 23. The inspection was made following notification of a trench collapse at the company’s worksite in Franklinton, La., resulting in a fatality. The company provides trenching, surveying and engineering services. Three alleged willful violations were cited for failing to protect employees working inside trenches from cave-ins, failing to properly slope and/or shore trenches and failing to take appropriate measure when a cave-in hazard is recognized. A willful violation is defined as an intentional disregard of or plain indifference to the requirements of the OSHA Act and regulations. The one alleged serious violation was issued for failing to provide employees with head protection while exposed to falling soil deposits. A serious violation is one that could cause death or serious physical harm to employees and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard. “A company’s failure to protect its workers from cave-ins is simply unacceptable,” said John Miles, OSHA’s regional administrator in Dallas. “Adhering to OSHA standards regarding the proper sloping, shoring and shielding of an excavation site can save lives.” Employers and employees with questions regarding workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA’s toll-free hotline number at 1-800-321-6742 to report workplace accidents, fatalities, or situations posing imminent danger to workers. General Engineering & Environmental Companies has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the Baton Rouge area office, or to contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Construction worker killed after trench collapses
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
VALLEJO – A 23-year-old construction worker from Dixon was crushed to death when a trench collapsed on him Thursday afternoon, authorities said. The accident occurred at 3:10 p.m. at a construction site at the corner of B.W. Williams Drive and Lewis Brown Street, said William Tweedy of the Vallejo Police Department. The Napa construction company was in its second day of installing an underground sewer line when the trench collapsed. The worker was in an area of the trench protected by steel plates, but the trench spilled into that area.

Gas line rupture closes street
By KAYLEY MENDENHALL Chronicle Staff Writer 
A gas line was ruptured Thursday morning when a contracting crew punctured it with a backhoe. The blast of gas “blew my hat right off my head,” said Richard Blum, of RS Construction, who was running the backhoe when it hit the line on North Wallace Avenue. The crew was digging water and sewer lines for an old grain elevator that is being converted into a woodworking shop and retail store. Crew members exposed the main gas line by hand and were cleaning up the edges of a nearby trench with the machine when they hit an unmarked, abandoned gas line. “The contractor, while doing everything right, found an abandoned line,” said Gary Clutter of the Bozeman Fire Department. The abandoned line was still tied into the active gas line, so when it was punctured, the high-pressure gas was released, knocking the hat off Blum’s head and sending the contractors running in all directions. “I was under the building when I heard all the noise,” said Shaw Thompson, one of the owners of Triple T Woodworking. Thompson’s business is scheduled to move into the building within the month, but Thompson said snags like the gas line break have slowed the process. Northwestern Energy workers dug a hole exposing the line a few feet from the break and welded in a remote shut-off switch to stop the gas flow. Bozeman firefighters stood ready with hoses aimed at the hole in case of an explosion and were on-hand to monitor the air. Clutter said because natural gas is lighter than air it travels quickly upward while the chemical odorant added to the gas stays closer to ground level giving people whiffs of trouble. “If it ignites, it goes straight up,” he said. “Anything that is hot enough to ignite natural gas,” could have set the area on fire. Bozeman police kept vehicles from entering the area while Northwestern Energy worked on the problem.

Gas line break forces school evacuation 
By Alison Beshur, San Antonio Express-News 
About 120 teachers and staff attending a retreat at a Northwest Side school received a real-life lesson in team building Monday afternoon after a work crew apparently ruptured a natural gas pipeline, prompting officials to evacuate the school and surrounding neighborhoods. Private construction crews digging near Hunt Lane and West Military Drive punctured a 24-inch gas main with a rock saw, sending bluish natural gas fumes about 5 feet into the air near Warren High School, officials said. Staff members at a development seminar smelled the fumes shortly after 2 p.m. and were immediately evacuated and transported by school buses to the North side Activity Center. “We kind of thought it was a prank,” said Christiane Perkins, a special education teacher, who was on a scavenger hunt at the time the incident occurred. “We thought it was a team-building exercise.” Authorities said residents from four area subdivisions in a quarter-mile radius were evacuated for a little more than two hours as a precautionary measure. The gas, released at a pressure of 160 pounds per square inch, did not pose a health hazard because it dissipated, fire officials said. “Our biggest concern was the elimination of ignition sources,” District Chief Tommy Thompson said. Ironically, a similar gas line rupture occurred in 2000 when the school was still under construction. In that incident, a bulldozer operator tore into a 24-inch gas line, releasing fumes that could be smelled for miles and forcing the evacuations of two nearby subdivisions.

Dirt starts to fall as workers tunnel under railroad track
Pipe, intended to go underground, sits near Case Street. A water main project is temporarily on halt following technical problems. 
By Jennifer McBride
A $60,000 city project came to a halt Tuesday after digging caused a landslide under some railroad tracks. The mishap halted rail service and required truckloads of rock to repair it. The project is on hold and being evaluated to see what the next steps will be, City Administrator Karl Frantz said. The incident happened while crews were trying to install a 560-foot underground water main from an area near Case Street, under the Baraboo River, to connecting pipes near Mary Rountree Evans Park. The project is designed to improve water flow from one distribution system north of the river to a distribution system south of the river, using 18-inch diameter pipes. The project is tied to a Second Avenue project but the delay will not affect Second Avenue resident’s services, Street Foreman Bob Steinhorst said. A 24-inch hole was bored using directional drilling but problems arose when an area had to be widened to 30 inches to accommodate a steel casing. The casing is required by the railroad to go around plastic pipes that run under rails. “They ran into problems and couldn’t get through it,” Frantz said. The contractor, TEC of Tomah, then excavated an area at the side of the slope to see if they could determine the problem when the top of the slope became unstable. The instability was near the Wisconsin and Southern and Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Because of the instability, rail service was halted from Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday, said Project Inspector Dave Bierman. “The railroad had a 61-car ballast train here and if anything more fell out we could have had an incident,” he said. Boring projects under tracks cause problems about 30 percent of the time, but generally not to this degree, Bierman said. “The problem comes when you are in a glaciated area — you have quartzite and sandstone and you never know what you are going to get,” he said. The rail is used mainly for transporting rocks from the Rock Springs quarry daily and general freight three to five times a week each way. There was also concern about two fiber optic cables installed next to the track which, if disturbed, could have caused communication failures, Frantz said. Crews hauled in tons of rocks to stabilize the bank and poured concrete to fill the existing hole. The cables were not disrupted and rail service was running again on Wednesday. Engineers were given a slow order, which means they must travel no faster than 10 mph in an area intended for speeds of 30 mph. For now the contractor has pulled off the project. “Until we get an alternative and know what the story is and why the contractor decided to pull off, there are a lot of thing we need to get answered before we know what we are going to do next,” Frantz said. The contractor is responsible for completing the project, which is paid for with utility and Tax Incremental District No. 6 funds. Some neighbors of the project hope to see the project wrapped up soon. “It’s kind of a mess,” Rollin Harris said. “I don’t know what they are going to do.” The project is part of a $196,000 project that began about a month ago to replace water mains on Second Avenue. It was originally bid out as an open cut project but later changed to directional boring.

Main St. gas causes pain
Brent Stevens/Herald Journal 
Restaurant owner Saboor Sahely had scarcely left his business Wednesday evening when the gas line broke. It was 5 p.m. and Angie’s Restaurant was beginning to fill with the supper-time rush.  By the time Sahely returned, his restaurant had been evacuated. The customers had gone, his employees had been sent home, and Sahely was told that he could not reenter the building.  Financially, it was a blow to the small business owner.  “It killed our dinner business,” he said.  The mishap occurred when construction crews, employed by Bulldog Direction Drilling, ruptured a four-inch steel gas line while digging near the intersection of 700 North and Main Street. Their work was part of a traffic light synchronization project on Logan’s Main Street.  Sahely was told the problem would take a half-hour to 45 minutes to fix. But the hours passed. His restaurant remained closed for the rest of the evening.  But Angie’s Restaurant wasn’t the only business affected. Across the street was A&W Restaurant.  Though it was not evacuated, restaurant owner Shi Dean said her business was effectively shut down. Road blocks and emergency crews eliminated her dinner-rush. By 7 p.m., Dean sent her employees home.  But the question, which is now under investigation, is who is at fault.  Bulldog Direction Drilling was the company that broke the line. But company Owner Dave Messerly said the line was not properly identified by Questar Gas. “Questar showed there were no lines there,” he said. “It was never painted.”  Typically, a construction company calls Questar’s blue stakes division prior to beginning a project. Blue stakes then marks the location of its pipes in yellow dashes.  Messerly said he contacted Blue Stakes on July 11. But the pipeline was not marked.  Andy Neff, region 1 public involvement coordinator for the Utah Department of Transportation, confirmed Messerly’sstatement.  The gas line was not identified, he said.  Darren Shepherd, spokesman for Questar Gas, said the matter is still under investigation. He could not confirm whether the pipeline had been marked by blue stakes.  The gas leak, which closed Main Street between 500 North and 800 North during peak traffic hours, was repaired by 2 a.m. Thursday morning.

Construction could lead to more gas leaks, authorities caution.

If Darlene Means can enjoy an uninterrupted afternoon at her Dean Street home, she might feel lucky. If Darlene Means can enjoy an uninterrupted afternoon at her Dean Street home, she might feel lucky.  Twice in a matter of five days, she and other Dean Street neighborhood residents were told they must evacuate their homes after nearby Piedmont Natural Gas lines were struck. Late Monday afternoon, crews with Myers Construction of Seneca damaged a natural gas line near Means’ home.  Myers has been contracted by E.spire Communications of Greenville, which is working to reroute fiber optics lines affected by Renaissance Park project construction.  As a precaution following the gas leak, city of Spartanburg firefighters had residents make their way to nearby Barnet Park until the gas had dissipated.  Public Safety Lt. Heath Henderson said that because natural gas is lighter than air, it usually clears away quickly. But, “like anything else, none of the calls are ever the same,” he said, noting that humidity and wind conditions can affect the level of danger.  It’s especially important, Henderson said, to make sure that “ignition sources” — cars, trucks and cigarettes — are kept at a distance from the gas leak.  Piedmont Natural Gas district manager Mike Forrester said his company marks the location of gas lines before construction.  The line hit Monday was marked, and Forrester said the construction company will be billed for repairs. Last week’s accident, according to an E.spire official, occurred when workers hit an unmarked line.  Forrester said Piedmont Natural Gas “works closely with folks doing construction.” But he said local utility lines are likely to be hit again in the months ahead.  “With all the exciting things going on downtown, we’re going to see water and gas lines hit from time to time,” he said.

Gas line ruptured at construction site
Calgary Herald 
A construction worker in an excavator ruptured a natural gas line at a site Monday, sending emergency crews scrambling to contain the leak.The accident happened at 2 p.m. when a worker accidentally hit a line at a construction site next to 10 Country Hills Landing N.W. Eleven firefighters from two stations, a hazardous material crew, police and paramedics were called to the scene and waited while ATCO Gas personnel dug up and exposed the ruptured line in an effort to control the leak. proximately 12 people were evacuated from a nearby bottle depot while ATCO workers completed their work. Neighbouring residents were also warned of the potential of shifting winds and possible evacuation during the incident.

Broken line leaks gas at P.K. Yonge
By DIANE CHUN, Sun staff writer 
Some 70 students attending summer classes at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School got a break from the routine Monday morning when a construction worker operating a backhoe ruptured a gas line near the school. The incident occurred on the roadway southwest of the school, not far from the area where a new auditorium is under construction. When the backhoe cut through the 2-inch steel natural gas line, breaking a valve as well, officers from the University Police Department evacuated youngsters from their classrooms, moving them to the northeast corner of the school. Gainesville Fire Rescue spokesman Stuart Schwartz said the fire department deployed hoses in case of an explosion, but the morning breeze quickly dispersed the gas. “It took Gainesville Regional Utilities about 15 minutes to cap off the line,” Schwartz said. The evacuation went smoothly, according to Fran Vandiver, the school’s director. While workmen made repairs to the gas line and broken valve, classes resumed in empty classrooms in the elementary building, Vandiver said.

Gas leak forces South End evacuation; Mishap was second at construction site
By Todd Wright, Globe Correspondent
A ruptured gas line in the South End forced hundreds to evacuate homes and businesses yesterday while emergency workers contained the leak. Dark plumes of gas and dust burst into the air near the corner of Tremont and Berkeley streets shortly after 8 a.m. when construction workers punctured a high-pressure pipe with a backhoe while digging at a new construction site. ”It was like dust everywhere,” said Kisanga Kitenge, who works at a convenience store across the street. ”It looked like a tornado or something like that.” No one was injured. But police blocked streets, and some 70 firefighters went house to house ordering buildings evacuated in a four-block area of the densely populated neighborhood of row houses. Residents were allowed to return two hours later, after the leak was capped and officials determined that fumes had dissipated to a safe level. Residents said they returned home to an odor of gas and a film of dust on parked cars and front steps. ”You could see the particles in the air,” said Joe Wex, who was told to leave his home on Dwight Street. ”It was very hazy, and you could smell the gas from blocks away.” Emergency officials shut off electricity to about 2,200 customers in the area for two hours while emergency workers fixed the leak. Turner Construction Co., which operated the backhoe, issued a statement yesterday apologizing for ”any inconvenience to neighbors.” The company said KeySpan Energy Delivery had labeled the gas line ”dead.” KeySpan officials denied it. ”The area is clearly marked `Dig Safely,’ and it was known to everybody that gas lines were near here,” said KeySpan spokeswoman Barbara Kates-Garnick. The gas leak was the second recent misshap at the construction site, where workers are building condominiums. A contractor cut into a 220-volt underground power line July 2, causing electricity service to be interrupted to several stores on Tremont Street.

Gas Leak Forces School Evacuation

A reported gas line break at Boone High School Wednesday morning has forced officials to evacuate the building, according to Local 6 News. Authorities said that the gas leak is at 200 South Mills Avenue. Local 6 News reported that a two-inch line was apparently cut by construction equipment. There are no reported injuries in connection with the break. Watch Local 6 News for the latest on this breaking news story.

Balboa Park Suffers Power Outage

A construction mishap knocked out electrical service to more than 1,000 Balboa Park-area addresses Thursday while putting traffic lights on the fritz around the landmark tourist destination, officials said. A trench collapse at a work site off Florida Drive and Zoo Place broke a power line and caused the outage shortly after 11 a.m., according to San Diego Gas and Electric officials. Medics also treated several workers at the scene for respiratory distress caused by inhaling some type of fumes, possibly natural gas from a ruptured pipe, a dispatcher said. The accident left 1,027 SDG&E customers without electricity in the mid-city park’s Spanish Village, nearby Florida Canyon and the City College environs to the south, said Anne Silva, an information officer for the utility. By early afternoon, crews had restored service to all but about 15 locations near the city’s famed zoo. The sprawling wildlife attraction itself was unaffected by the power failure, Silva added.

Dennis fire crews deal with pair of gas leaks

SOUTH DENNIS – Dennis firefighters contended with two gas leaks yesterday morning – one caused by a ruptured gas main, the other in which flames erupted while a propane tank was being reloaded. No one was injured in either incident, said Deputy Chief John Donlan. The first incident occurred around 10:15 a.m. when an excavator working behind the MidCape Home Center on Route 134 hit a gas line, said Donlan. Employees and customers were evacuated from two buildings at the site while a work crew from the gas company repaired the line. Less than an hour later, firefighters were then called to a flash fire at a cottage in Salt Air Village, just off Lower County Road in Dennisport. Donlan said a propane tank at the back of a cottage was being refilled when a nearby hot water heater apparently sparked a flash fire. The driver of the propane gas truck put out the fire with a fire extinguisher from the truck, said Donlan. Vinyl siding on the back of the cottage melted, but there was no other damage, according to the fire department.

Crews Work To Repair Gas Main, Gas Stations Nearby Evacuated

TAYLOR, Mich.– Crews are working to repair a broken gas main in Taylor.

The gas main break is located at Telegraph and Goddard roads. A contractor dug into a 4-inch line, Local 4 learned. An Amoco and a Marathon gas station located at the intersection have both been evacuated until the gas main is sealed. Other area businesses are reportedly not affected. Residents living west of Telegraph Road were advised to keep their windows closed, and to let officials know if they smell gas in the area. The main was expected to be capped by Thursday afternoon. No other information is available. Stay with Local First News and ClickOnDetroit.com for the latest developments.

300 Chesterfield residents evacuated after gas leak
Macomb Daily photo by David N. Posavetz
Chesterfield Police Detective Larry Kersten tells resident Ann Foster of Iris Street not to run her car because of a nearby gas leak. Nearly 300 residents were evacuated from their Chesterfield Township homes Wednesday after construction crews ruptured a gas line in a new subdivision. No one was injured in the 2 p.m. incident, but homes in two adjacent neighborhoods were placed off limits for about two hours while crews fixed the leak, said Chesterfield Township police Sgt. Michael Pfeiffer. “A crew was putting in a storm sewer when they hit the line right in front of an inspector,” said Chesterfield Fire Lt. Ed Cuneo. “They cut a 6-inch line right in two.” Construction workers reported the leak to fire officials, Pfeiffer said. From there, fire crews evacuated about 100 homes in the Clover Estates and Bayview Subdivisions for about two hours. The subdivisions are located near Cotton, Donner and 23 Mile roads. Frank Pincombe was one of the homeowners not pleased by the disruption. “They (fire officials) come over here and run me out of my house,” he said. “Where the heck am I going to go?” He went to his neighbors across the street, past the unsafe area patrolled by police. But another option was the Chesterfield Township Hall, Cuneo said. That’s where as many as five other residents were taken until the leak was fixed. Another resident, who wouldn’t give his name, said he was angered the crews cut the line. “There’s no excuse for a contractor to hit a line,” he said. Cuneo said no citation was given to the construction crews, but they could likely face a hefty repair bill from the gas company.

Construction worker rescued after falling in hole

CLEARWATER – A construction worker who fell in a hole at a construction site has been rescued. Thirty-two year old Brian Doane had been stuck in the seven foot deep hole since 3:30pm. He works for a drilling company that was contracted to do work on the site near Coachman Park and the old main branch of the Clearwater Library. They were drilling to check for bedrock and when the drill was pulled out, the dirt collapsed and Doane fell in. He was stuck in the mud and dirt up to his chest. Rescuers shored up the sides of the hole with wood planks to prevent dirt from caving in on the worker. Workers were then lowered by a harness into the hole and began removing dirt one bucket at a time. Firefighters were also lowered into the hold to check on the stuck man and keep him alert. Firefighters credit city workers with bringing in a large vacuum truck to speed removal of the dirt. The worker was airlifted to Bayfront Medical Center where doctors will examine him. He may have a leg injury, but otherwise was in good condition.

Woman Rescued from 30-foot Hole

Associated Press

Rescuers used equipment to lift a 50-year-old woman from a 30-foot-deep hole that she fell into at a construction project near Bonney Lake, Wash. — east of Tacoma. The woman was a flagger at the construction site, where South Prairie Road was being widened. The hole reportedly had been dug for a piling for the project. The accident happened about 4 p.m. Monday afternoon.

‘Mismarked’ line led to ruptured gas main

By Marianne Oberley-Orris, Meadville Tribune

Firefighters ordered residents of five Jefferson Street homes to shut their windows on a very hot Tuesday afternoon after an excavating crew hit a natural gas main. Meadville Central Fire Department was dispatched at 4:16 p.m. to 147 Jefferson Street, where an excavator digging a trench had accidentally hit the main. According to fire department Captain Dan Bowman, the excavation contractor had made his “Pennsylvania one-call,” to check for utility line locations before digging, but a line was “apparently mismarked,” leading to the accident. Excavation contractors are required to make a toll-free call to Pennsylvania One Call System Inc. before digging in order to prevent damage to underground utilities. Soon after the line was hit, someone at the address called 911, Bowman said. Firefighters who arrived at the scene sprayed the area with water to dissipate the gas until the leak was stopped. That’s standard procedure when there’s a gas leak of this caliber, Bowman said. Firefighters also notified neighbors of the leak and asked them to shut their windows until the leak was contained. At about 4:40 p.m. National Fuel workers dug into a neighboring yard and pinched off the leaking line. Firefighters then checked neighboring homes for the presence of residual gas, Bowman said. A few homes were above acceptable levels following the incident, but after firefighters cleared them with smoke ventilation fans, levels returned to normal. The fire department was back in service at 6:28 p.m.

Farmworkers die in freak accident

Kimberley – Three farmworkers were killed when ground collapsed onto them while they were laying water pipes on a farm at Modder River near Kimberley on Tuesday, Northern Cape police said. Inspector Chantel Manuel said the men were digging a furrow, approximately six metres deep, when the accident occurred. “The three men were immediately covered by sand. One body was recovered by emergency service personnel shortly after the accident,” Manuel said. She said it was expected that the operation to retrieve the two remaining bodies would be continued on Wednesday “as it will not be safe for emergency workers to continue their search for the bodies after dark”. The names of the victims could not be released until their next-of-kin had been informed.

UPDATE, Improper Excavation Procedures Contribute To Death of Construction Worker; OSHA cites Texas firm following trenching fatality at Alba, Tex.

Washington — A Texas construction firm is facing a proposed fine of $238,000 following a trenching fatality that claimed the life of a Hispanic construction worker, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced today. Pate & Pate, LLC, an underground utility construction firm based in The Woodlands, Tex., was cited Tuesday for nine alleged safety and health violations, including three willful violations for not protecting employees involved in excavation work from cave-in hazards. The fatal accident occurred on Jan. 4, 2002, when the 17-year-old pipe layer was struck by the collapsing wall of an approximately 20-foot deep trench and suffered fatal blunt force injuries and asphyxia. “This is why OSHA has tough standards to prevent trenching accidents, and we are enforcing these standards aggressively,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “Every worker has the right to a safe and healthy workplace, and I’m committed to guaranteeing that right.” “What’s most troubling,” added John Henshaw, OSHA administrator, “is that Pate & Pate has lost four workers in the last four years; three of the deaths were related to trenching operations. What’s more, this case represents the eighth trenching accident involving the employer since 1998. These tragedies could have been avoided, and these workers would be alive today had their employer provided basic protection.” The most recent fatality occurred while the company was laying approximately seven miles of water pipeline near Alba, Texas. One of 15 employees in the pipe-laying crew died of injuries because he was allowed to work outside the protection of a trench box. OSHA’s investigation found that the employer permitted these same working conditions over the preceding five months when more than 6.5 miles of the pipe had been installed. OSHA cited Pate & Pate with three alleged willful violations for failing to protect workers from cave-in hazards on three separate occasions during the project. The alleged willful violations carry a total proposed penalty of $210,000. The company also received citations for six alleged serious violations, with proposed penalties of $28,000, for hazards associated with entry to confined spaces, and fall and impalement dangers. Willful violations are those committed with an intentional disregard of the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and OSHA regulations, or plain indifference to employee safety and health. A serious violation is defined as one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard. Pate & Pate has 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Construction workers pulled from hole

By LARRY HARTSTEIN, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

One worker was seriously injured, and two others were taken to the hospital today after an accident at a construction site at Ga. 400 and Windward Parkway. Police did not immediately release the names of the injured, including a man who apparently received an electric shock and some burns while working in a 20-foot hole. The shocks knocked the employee of Dillard Smith Construction Co. off the ladder, officials said. “We’re not quite sure what caused the shock at this point,” said Alpharetta Police Sgt. Chris Lagerbloom. The shock victim was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, but his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Lagerbloom said. Two other workers received lesser injuries and were taken by ambulance to North Fulton Medical Center, he said. According to Alpharetta firefighters, the call came in about 11:15 a.m. A team of Alpharetta firefighters rappelled into the hole, using ropes. They stabilized all three workers on stretchers and then lifted them out by a crane. “They were just anxious, wanting to get out of the hole,” said firefighter Randy Jenkins. “One was in a good bit of pain.” Windward Parkway was closed to traffic for about two hours. Dillard Smith Construction was working at the site as a Georgia Power Co. contractor, officials said. The crew was working with a large power conduit, Lagerbloom said.

Jury awards $1.69 million to man injured in trench collapse
REED CITY — A jury on Friday awarded what is believed to be the largest-ever judgment in an Osceola County civil suit. After two hours of deliberation, the jury rendered a verdict of $1,696,500 against Franke’s Septic Tank Service of Cadillac to plaintiffs Rex and Helen Loop of Reed City. According to the Loops’ attorney, Courtney E. Morgan Jr., Rex Loop’s leg was crushed when the sides of a trench dug by Franke’s Septic Tank Service collapsed on March 6, 1997. According to Morgan, the excavation techniques did not comply with federal and state safety standards. Loop suffered multiple fractures to his leg and ankle which were repaired with plates, screws and wires. The accident left him permanently disabled. The trench had been dug to replace a water pipe at Tubelite of Reed City, where Rex Loop had been employed as a maintenance worker.  Attorneys for Franke’s Septic Tank Service had argued that Tubelite was partially responsible for Loop’s injuries; however, the jury found no liability on Tubelite’s part. “It was truly an unfortunate accident and we truly regret Mr. Loop’s injuries,” said Terry Franke, manager of the septic tank service. However, Franke added, “There have been conflicting views by experts on trench methods and there were other factors involved.” While declining to reveal whether his firm intends to appeal the judgment, Franke predicted the amount ultimately received by the Loops would be “substantially less.”

Gas leak forces evacuation of downtown Grand Rapids buildings

By Associated Press

GRAND RAPIDS — Crews were able to cap a gas leak Friday that led to hundreds of workers being evacuated from downtown buildings, officials said. Gas from three separate lines leading to the leak was shut off by 4 p.m., Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. spokeswoman Amy Messano said. The leak was first reported about 9:40 a.m. “It took a long time to fix because it was a labor-intensive process,” Messano said Friday. A contractor not employed by the gas company was working on a water main and road reconstruction project and damaged a 12-inch gas main, Messano said. The area was closed Friday morning, and at least eight buildings, including the Kent County courthouse, were evacuated, Grand Rapids police Lt. Ralph Mason said. Power was shut off in at least five buildings, he said. Messano said crews would go through the evacuated buildings and perform a safety check to make sure that no residual gas remained. She said electricity would then be restored and people who were evacuated would likely be allowed to return to the buildings by Friday night. City crews also had shut off all traffic lights in the area to minimize the chance of a spark igniting the gas. One woman was treated after she said she was overcome by fumes, but no other injuries were immediately reported, The Grand Rapids Press reported. Workers at several buildings said they smelled natural gas and voluntarily left buildings before the fire department started evacuations. Kent County Circuit Judge Paul Sullivan was hearing motions in his 11th floor courtroom Friday morning. “We were just suddenly becoming overwhelmed” by the smell of gas, Sullivan said. “I could smell it really heavy.” Sullivan adjourned the hearing and told everybody to leave. District Judge Jeanine LaVille was to preside over a wedding in her chambers Friday morning. She had hoped to move the ceremony to the Calder Plaza. “I’ve got my robe and my wedding vows,” LaVille said. “But there will definitely be no unity candle.”

Phone service cut off

Telephone service for some residents and businesses in Lower Bucks was knocked out for a few hours yesterday when construction workers mistakenly cut an underground phone cable. Telephone service for some residents and businesses in Lower Bucks was knocked out for a few hours yesterday when construction workers mistakenly cut an underground phone cable, said a Verizon representative. Areas in Bristol Township, Tullytown, and the Eddington section of Bensalem lost service at about 2 p.m., said Sharon Shaffer, Verizon media relations manager. Repair crews were working last night to fix the broken cable located on Route 413, in Bristol Township near the Rohm and Haas facility, Shaffer said. Some service was restored by 5:30 p.m. yesterday. A contractor working on Route 413 cut the cable while digging, she said.

Rescuers Lift Workers From Madison County Trench

Two workers who were trapped in a trench at a construction site were lifted out by rescuers Friday afternoon. The trench is at a home construction site east of Pendleton on County Road 150 West, south of State Road 38, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department said. The workers were trapped by dirt shortly before 2 p.m. when parts of the trench’s dirt walls collapsed, officials said. One worker was freed after 15 minutes and had no serious injuries; the second worker wasn’t lifted out until about 3:50 p.m. The second worker, who was alert, was taken from the trench to an ambulance with leg injuries, RTV6 reported. Information on the workers’ identities were not immediately available. The second worker’s condition also wasn’t immediately known. Before lifting the second worker, rescuers shored up the sides of the trench to ensure it didn’t collapse, the department said. One trench worker who was not trapped, Chris Mount, said the trench’s dirt walls weren’t secured by a “trench box” — an item that holds dirt walls in place. Workers were planning to put one in when the walls collapsed, he said. “We shouldn’t have been down there that deep — working in loose gravel. Everything just caved in,” Mount said. “We were getting ready to get a trench box, but (it was) too late.”

Gas Leak Forces Evacuation In Mustang; Crews Hit Natural Gas Line

OKLAHOMA CITY — A Mustang neighborhood was evacuated Tuesday due to a gas leak. A Duke Energy construction crew struck a natural gas line near Whippoorwhill Lane. About 70 homes were evacuated. No injuries were reported. Residents were allowed to return later in the day. Mustang fire and police officials are at the scene.

Gas leak snarls traffic at Bush Intercontinental

By MIKE GLENN  Houston Chronicle

A gas leak at Bush Intercontinental Airport today prompted officials to temporarily block vehicle traffic to two terminals. The leak was reported about noon when construction contractors nicked a 2-inch natural gas line between Terminal C and Terminal D. Houston Airport System spokesman Ernest DeSoto said the leak did not result in the evacuation of any passengers from the terminal. Passengers could still enter the terminals through the airport tram system, he said. “They’ve got it all under control,” DeSoto said. A Houston Fire Department hazardous materials team checked the terminals and determined they were safe, Houston Fire Department officials said. There were no reported injuries. Some airport workers complained of being ill but later said they felt better, officials said. “We were going to transport them to the hospital,” said HFD Capt. Mike Nieto. “They refused to go to the hospital. They said they were OK.” Terminal C houses Continental Airlines flights, while international flights at the airport are based in Terminal D.

Worker killed in trench collapse; Officials say heavy rainfall led to unstable ground

By Kelli Wynn, Dayton Daily News

MIAMISBURG | Torrential rain that soaked the Miami Valley on Thursday night is being blamed for contributing to the death of a construction worker who was buried alive Friday when the trench he was in collapsed. A rescue operation that began at 2:10 p.m. when the cave-in occurred turned into a recovery operation that ended about 9:30 p.m., when the body of the 22-year-old employee of Mason-based Moeves Plumbing was removed from at least nine feet of earth. Officials would not release his name pending notification of relatives. He was taken to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. He was part of a crew working on the Sycamore Walk Ranch Condominiums on Bending Branch Way off Leiter Road, just west of Sycamore Hospital. “With the kinds of rain we had last night, it made the ground very unsafe,” Miamisburg Fire Chief Bob Bobbitt said, referring to the 2 1/2 to 3 inches of rain National Weather Service meteorologists in Wilmington said fell throughout southern Montgomery County within a half-hour’s time. According to Gary Giles, public information officer for the city of Miamisburg, two men were involved in a trench digging operation. One was in an excavator and the other was in the trench, digging a sewer line. “Apparently, the dirt in the trench became unstable and went on top of him,” Bobbitt said. “You can last a couple of minutes, breathing-wise. . . .” Rescue workers began shoveling after another piece of machinery had to be used to move the excavator from the site of the collapse. Recovery efforts stalled at one point when rain began to fall and the trench again became unstable. “The more we dug, the more unstable the ground around us became,” Bobbitt said. Trench rescue teams from Miami Twp. and Beavercreek, and fire departments from Moraine, Sugarcreek and Washington townships assisted.

Almost buried alive; Cemetery worker saved by firefighters

Jim Hague, Reporter staff writer

A West New York man is resting comfortably at home this weekend with only a broken collarbone and three broken ribs for his troubles. It could have been far worse for 38-year-old Manuel Pierrot after he was almost buried alive a week ago Friday. Nicholas McGhee has been digging graves for 27 years now. The manager of the Machpelah Cemetery on Tonnelle Avenue and 58th Street in North Bergen has seen a lot of frightening events at the long-time cemetery, but nothing like what occurred in the early hours of last Friday morning. “It was a tragedy,” McGhee said, with his soft Scottish accent. “I tell you, I still can’t believe what happened. It was a real freaky thing.” Last Friday began like any other day for McGhee and his crew of gravediggers, which included Pierrot. After a heavy rainstorm Thursday night, the workers were preparing a grave for a burial later that morning, when disaster struck. “After digging a grave, we have to go in to check to see if the planks of wood we lay down are secure,” McGhee said. “I’ve gone in over a thousand times. It’s nothing big. It’s part of the job.” Pierrot went into the grave to check the foundation when the ground suddenly gave way and a massive pile of dirt, headstones, and concrete came crashing in on Pierrot, who stood inside the grave site. He was on the verge of being buried alive. “I really thought we lost the guy,” McGhee said. “I couldn’t believe what happened. There was no time to do anything. It just happened so suddenly.” Two granite tombstones, including their bases, and two concrete footing platforms weighing more than 600 pounds each, landed on top of Pierrot. “I ran right away to the house and called 911,” McGhee said. “He didn’t say anything to me before I left. I kept saying, ‘I’m going to get help, Manny.’ But he didn’t respond. I was so scared.” When McGhee left to make the call, only Pierrot’s right arm was visible under the debris. The emergency call went out to both the North Bergen Police and the North Hudson Regional Fire & Rescue, which has a new unit in place to handle such emergency situations. A call was also made to the Jersey City Fire Department. “When I got back, Manny spoke to me,” McGhee said. “Christ, I felt so great hearing him ask if we were getting help.” Once help arrived, the tedious process of trying to extricate Pierrot from the pile of dirt and concrete began. According to NHRFR Chief Edward Flood, the NHRFR’s rescue got to Pierrot as quickly as possible. “He was conscious when we arrived, but he was in a lot of distress,” Flood said. “He was completely covered in tombstones and debris. He was barely visible.” The NHRFR then utilized their confined space trench rescue method, first securing the sides of the grave with strong pieces of plywood and planks. “Because of the instability of the ground, our men were in constant danger,” Flood said. “It could have collapsed again and they all would have been killed.” The Jersey City Fire Department has specific equipment that is used to sure up the walls of a mine in case of a collapse. Once the walls of the grave were totally secured, the firefighters went to work removing the debris. Two emergency medical technicians from the Jersey City Medical Center climbed down into the grave to provide an intravenous feed to keep Pierrot hydrated. “We had to prevent shock and hypothermia,” Flood said. “His body temperature was dropping rapidly. That was a major concern. Luckily, we had the EMT personnel on hand.” The firefighters first dug into the pile with their hands. Then using stout ropes, the firefighters hauled up the tombstones and concrete footings. At 10:45 a.m., Pierrot was finally freed, with six firefighters carrying him from the grave. He was put on a stretcher and instantly immobilized. An ambulance transported Pierrot to a grassy area, where the New Jersey State Police helicopter awaited to airlift Pierrot to University Hospital in Newark. He spent three days in the hospital, and was treated and released, according to hospital spokeswoman Sharon Dilling. “That’s the most fulfilling feeling to have,” Flood said. “As firefighters, we are trained to save lives and protect property. There’s a tremendous reward when a life is saved. It was a very meticulous effort, everything done step by step, not wanting any further collapse. It was the teamwork of about 60 firefighters who saved this man’s life.” The efforts were spearheaded by Battalion Chief Frank Montagne, who is the leader of the recently formed rescue unit in the NHRFR. “But I credit all the members,” Flood said. “They were all valiant.” McGhee said Pierrot refused a request to be interviewed for the story. “He’s resting,” McGhee said. “He spoke to me today [Wednesday] and he said he’s feeling better.” McGhee said he still can’t believe what occurred. But he was back at work, digging another grave for burial Wednesday morning. “It was quite a day,” McGhee said. “But we have to get back to work. It could have been me. We do the same job. We take turns who goes in and who doesn’t. We’ve had foundations cave in with headstones before, but this was the first time anyone was in there.”

2 Construction Workers Trapped In Ditch

Two construction workers were rescued Tuesday afternoon after being trapped inside a ditch in Montgomery County. The accident happened shortly after noon near the intersection of the S. Loop 336 and Owen in Conroe, which is about 40 miles north of Houston. Montgomery County fire officials told News2Houston that the men were from the city of Conroe public works division and were installing a sewer line when the ditch collapsed, trapping them in waist-deep mud. Hovering over the scene, NewsChopper2 showed that emergency crews used pumping equipment to drain the ditch of the muddy waters. Conroe fire officials said that they were prepared for this type of emergency. “We have a crew — some of our crews have been practicing and are qualified in underground and trench rescue. We purchased equipment about five years ago. This is the first time in five years we’ve used the equipment. It’s kind of hard, I know, to justify that sometimes. But we got it. We had it. It was what we needed exactly at the moment,” Conroe Fire Department Chief Herb Williams said. The men were rescued about an hour later, and suffered only minor injuries, authorities said. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Airline gas leak

By staff, kris-tv
A stretch of airline road had to be shut down this afternoon because of a natural gas leak. A crew digging a trench for southwestern bell accidentally cut into a two inch gas line. When the fire department arrived, they decided to have police shut down a portion of airline near la bianca until the leak could be controlled. The leak did not affect service to residents in the area.

Gas main break halts Ga. 316
Andrea Jones – Staff
A punctured gas main forced officials to shut down both sides of Ga. 316 before noon Monday, snarling lunchtime traffic and sending grumbling motorists down detours. A construction worker operating a backhoe punched through the 24-inch-wide main about 11 a.m. near Winder Highway, said Gwinnett Fire Lt. David Dusik. “It was a really big line, so we were concerned,” he said. “The natural gas didn’t have an odorant — meaning the leak couldn’t be traced by smell.” Traffic was halted in both directions on Ga. 316 between Cedars Road and Winder Highway, near the Gwinnett County Airport/Briscoe Field. As an added precaution, rail traffic on a nearby CSX rail line, as well as air traffic into and out of the airport, also was stopped. Dusik said the construction crew was repairing damage from a September 2000 train derailment when the backhoe struck the main. Crews capped a valve to the section of the damaged gas line, and officials let the remaining gas filter out, Dusik said. No charges against the backhoe operator or the construction company are expected, Dusik said. By noon, the threat was over, and the roads and runway were re-opened. “Gas is usually lighter than air, so it didn’t take that long,” Dusik said. Airport manager Matt Smith said the temporary flight restriction didn’t last long enough to create problems.

Trench collapse traps two
Two workers engaged on drainage work were trapped in a collapsing excavation at a site on York University’s Heslington campus. One of the men was trapped for over one hour and is in hospital receiving treatment for his injuries and the effects of oxygen deprivation. The excavation had to be made stable before rescue could be attempted. The other man was freed by emergency services from the 4-5-metre excavation, and is believed to have fallen in as the collapse proceeded, sustaining a shoulder injury. The main contractor on the project is HBG Construction of London whose spokesman said: “We can confirm that an incident has occurred at our site in York but it would be inappropriate to make any more statements while the appropriate authorities are investigating.” HSE investigation will centre on establishing the adequacy of support provided to the sides of the excavation.

Gas leak forces evacuation near old carnation plant
James Roberts, Staff Writer

Residents on Hiestand and Coppock streets were evacuated from their homes for about 45 minutes after a gas line was ruptured on Friday. A demolition crew was tearing down an abandoned home on Hiestand Street when a bulldozer struck the line about 10 a.m. According to Campbellsville Fire Captain Bill Hall, Western Kentucky Gas had taken the meter off the line but failed to plug the line. The owner apparently didn’t tell the gas company that the house was being torn down, Hall said. There were no complications, but Hall said there could have easily been problems. “If gas had gotten into another house around a water heater we could have had a problem,” he said. A spark from a water heater could have caused a fire or explosion, Hall said. Hall said someone from Western Kentucky Gas arrived about 15 minutes after the first call to plug the line. There was also a small problem with the bulldozer operator, Hall said. “We couldn’t get them to understand but once they understood the seriousness of it they shut it off,” he said. “We just wanted it off in case the truck itself caused a spark.”

Gas Leak Forces Evacuation in VC

No injuries reported in Friday morning incident, under control by 11 a.m.

By Nick Simonson, Times-Record Staff Writer

Area citizens were evacuated from their homes Friday morning by Valley City police, fire and medical crews as the result of a broken gas line. The break apparently resulted from an excavation project conducted by EBI Drilling in which a trenching machine came in contact with a natural gas line and created a hole approximately three inches in diameter. The break was reported at 9:24 a.m. Shortly before 10 a.m., police officers began going door to door to houses in the area informing residents of the danger and urging them to leave the neighborhood. “We are informing residents of the situation so they can take the proper precautions,” stated Police Chief Dean Ross. Numerous cars began driving out of the neighborhood after receiving the warnings from police officers. Members of the Valley City Fire Department arrived on the scene in two fire trucks and put on protective suits to guard in case the gas leak ignited. “We’re here in case extinguishments and rescue are needed as a result of this leak,” stated Lt. Ron Burchill of the VCFD. Burchill, after viewing the leak described the hole in the gas line as being about the size of a saucer. Gas was steadily leaking out of it, he expressed. Burchill expressed his concern for the situation, saying that firefighters must proceed with caution, due to the explosive nature of natural gas. “If [the firemen] are digging down there, and a shovel strikes a rock, [the gas] would ignite.” Burchill ordered for the firemen on the scene to put on heavy protective suits in the event of ignition. He also recommended that they wear masks as well. The line, part of the MDU gas system, was damaged when a trench was being excavated. The trench was apparently being created to house the new master lift main for the Valley City sanitary sewer system. This main will send sewage to the lagoons south of town. At press time the situation was still being handled by the Valley City Fire and Police Departments. For follow up information on this gas leak see Monday’s edition of the Times-Record.

UPMC Shadyside Emergency Room Evacuated

A leaking gas line forced the evacuation of a section of UPMC Shadyside Thursday afternoon. The line was struck by a backhoe on South Aiken Avenue, where a parking garage is being built. The emergency room and G-I lab were evacuated. Patients were taken to another part of the hospital. Six workers received treatment after they reported feeling light-headed. The shutdown lasted about an hour.

Construction Worker Trapped In Hole

A piece of heavy construction equipment broke down and trapped a construction worker inside a deep hole Friday morning while the man was working on a sewer project on Milwaukee’s south side. The victim was in critical condition at Froedtert Hospital as of Friday night. Police told WISN 12 News he’s a 40-year old man who works for Advanced Sewer and Water Inc. Police said the man was the foreman on this project. He was laying sewer pipe down on 18th Street when the accident happened. The worker was trapped in a hole 6 to 8 feet deep. Witnesses said part of a backhoe, the bucket, fell on the man, pinning him down below. A co-worker ran to Clarence Knoblock’s house for help. “The guy came running over. I was here trimming. He asked me to call 911. I did and came back, and I went over there and looked in. He was down there and the bucket was right down there on him, and the bucket is full of gravel,” Knoblock said. Fellow workers hoped for the best while the heavy urban rescue team, police, and firefighters tried to free the man who was trapped for about 40 minutes. They used rope, ladders, a stretcher and other equipment to get the job done. “He was conscious when we took him out and he remains conscious,” Milwaukee firefighter Donald Doro said. Flight for Life then rushed the victim to the hospital. Knoblock is amazed by the daring rescue that happened in front of his house. “When I saw (it) I thought a miracle has just happened,” Knoblock said. “I was totally amazed the guy’s still alive.” The company where the man works would not comment on the accident Friday night. Meantime, police, OSHA and the district attorney are investigating the accident.

Accident Prompts Evacuation At Monroeville Senior Home

Some residents were temporarily removed from the ManorCare Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday morning. An asphalt crew’s backhoe accidentally punctured a 2-inch natural gas line under the parking lot at the facility on Macbeth Drive. Monroeville police Lt. Dave Palermo said half of the residents were briefly evacuated, while the rest were moved to another side of the building. “We isolated the whole area, especially the school district,” Palermo said. “We had the Monroeville Sports Center on standby in case we had to evacuate people to it.” Gas crews shut off the leak around 11 a.m. No one was hurt, and no gas was found to have seeped into the building.

Gas Main Break Keeps Downtown Streets Closed

Contract Worker Hits Two Lines

DETROIT– Several downtown streets remain shut down after a contract worker hit two natural gas lines Wednesday night. The incident happened as the worker was drilling sometime after 8 p.m. in the area of Fort and Washington, DTE Energy told Local 4. Firefighters and a hazmat crew were called to the scene to contain the break. Tests showed the presence of gas outside in the area was at a hazardous level. Crews also tested the gas level in nearby buildings. Authorities cordoned off a six-block area between Lafayette and Congress and Cass and Shelby. MichCon workers were called in to cap off the lines.

Broken gas line snarls afternoon Treat traffic; Residents near De La Salle High School in Concord were told to evacuate or stay indoors

By Karl Fischer, CONTRA COSTA TIMES

CONCORD – A broken natural gas line shut down a busy stretch of Treat Boulevard during Friday’s afternoon commute and forced residents near De La Salle High School to evacuate or shelter in place. No one was injured. The spewing fountain of gas closed both directions of Treat between Oak Grove and Bancroft roads about 1 p.m. All eastbound lanes and one westbound lane were reopened around 9 p.m. A contractor excavating in the middle of Bethany Lane at its intersection with Treat struck a 2-inch gas distribution pipe at 12:55 p.m., said Pacific Gas & Electric spokesman Jason Alderman. “We ask contractors to phone ahead when they plan to excavate so we can mark where the natural gas lines lay. Well, they did call, and we marked,” Alderman said. “Clearly something didn’t go according to plan.” Police evacuated six condominiums on Bethany and Treat as a precaution, and gave residents of other nearby homes the option of evacuating or staying inside with the windows closed, Concord police Lt. Robin Heinemann said. Although the leak was directly across the street from the school’s football field, students at De La Salle and neighboring Carondelet high schools were not evacuated. A dance at De La Salle on Friday evening proceeded as planned, police said. Treat, a commute artery between Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek and parts of Concord, Clayton and East Contra Costa, remained backed up for hours. Diverted traffic and motorists wary of the backup on Treat also congested Ygnacio Valley Boulevard, a parallel commute road. PG&E crews on Treat ripped up landscaping and curbs with backhoes on either side of the leak to reach gas pipes supplying the broken section. A private telecommunications company was laying fiber optic cable along Treat beneath Bethany when workers struck the pipe, said Capt. John Nunes of the Contra Costa Fire District. The right lane of westbound Treat remained closed Friday night. Alderman said PG&E is investigating the accident and could bill the company for the emergency work if PG&E finds that it excavated negligently.

Man rescued from trench By Rachel R. Basinger, DAILY COURIER
MOUNT PLEASANT – One man was flown by STAT MedEvac to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh on Wednesday after a trench where he and his brother were laying water lines collapsed at approximately 10:30 a.m. According to Mark Garletts, with Garletts Excavating of Dunbar, he and his brother, Steve, 36, were making the last connection with the pipe when the upper part of an approximate 10-foot-high wall fell in on them. “It just came down and hit us,” said Mark Garletts. “I didn’t see it coming. It caved in on both of us and I crawled up out, but he (Steve Garletts) was buried from about the waist down. “He just kept yelling, ‘get me out, get me out, get me out,'” Mark Garletts continued. According to Dennis Taylor, second assistant chief for East Huntingdon Township Volunteer Fire Department, the actual trench was about 6 feet deep but the dirt that was excavated was piled about 10 feet high on the back wall. “The only thing we could use to get him (Steve Garletts) free was a hand shovel,” said Taylor, who added that this was the first call the department ever had for a trench rescue. Steve, Mark and Rick Garletts own Garletts Excavating and were subcontracting for Sturge Construction Co. of Dunbar who is building a housing development called Lawrence Place off Bessemer Road near the Regional Family YMCA in East Huntingdon Township . According to Mark Garletts, when he got out of the ditch he ran down and got help from some people with a water company and they dug his brother out. It took them about 20 minutes. “The only thing I was thinking was that I just had to get him out and safe,” he said. “I feel good that we got him free and that he’s all right.” Steve Garletts, who was transported by Mutual Aid from the accident site to the YMCA where the helicopter landed, was said to have one broken leg, according to Mark Garletts. “He was lucky,” said Taylor . “He was kind of leaning to the side, so it did not fall onto his chest. Mainly we don’t want all that weight to compress a person’s chest. That’s where the major injuries come from.” Trooper John Swartz, with the Pennsylvania state police at Greensburg , was the investigating officer for the accident. This is the first time that anything like this has ever happened to them, according to Mark Garletts. “Banks caving in is something that you always have to worry about,” he said. I think the danger from a wall caving in comes from the weight of the dirt and how wet it is.” He believes the recent rain fall had a lot to do with the wall cave-in.

Trench Collapses on Man

SPOKANE , WA , May 15 – It took more than a dozen firefighters working for almost three hours to rescue Don Bailey. Bailey planned to spend his Tuesday afternoon digging a hole for his sewer line.  Shortly after three o’clock , Bailey got off  his back-hoe and climbed down into the hole to take some measurements.  That’s when the walls of the hole collapsed on him, trapping him in dirt up to his waist. Unable to move for fear he would sink further, Bailey used his cell phone to call a friend for help. When rescue teams arrived, their first goal was to shore up the hole to make sure the ground didn’t continue to give way.  Bailey admitted  he was ver concerned, even though he doesn’t scare easily. It took more than two and a half hours, and a lot of careful planning by firefighters, to free him.  Bailey was finally able to climb out of the hole. Bailey told Q6 he feels very lucky, and very grateful to rescue crews, that the trench didn’t collapse again.  As a result of firefighters’ efforts, he emerged unscathed.

Thousands cut off as water main hit

By Emily Taylor

Thousands of people in Shrewsbury town centre were left without water today after workmen hit a mains pipe. Water was accidentally cut off at around noon , but was back on just over 30 minutes later. A spokesman for Severn Trent said he believed council workers had hit a trunk main, knocking out three district metred areas. Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council said this afternoon that it was investigating. The spokesman for Severn Trent said: “The council knocked out quite a large area, including Shrewsbury town centre. Someone from Severn Trent was immediately sent out to investigate.” Places affected by the water delay included the Castle Street , St Mary’s Street , Cross Hill, Pride Hill, College Hill and Dogpole areas. It is believed contractors carrying out work in the Quarry Park area were to blame for the loss of water. Backup Barbara Forsythe, of the Bear Steps Coffee Shop, said: “We just kept going and I think everyone else probably did the same.” A spokesman for Costa Coffee in High Street added: “We didn’t have to turn anyone away. We were without water for about 40 minutes, but we have backup tanks and because of the nice weather we were not too busy anyway.” Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council assistant chief executive Celia Bahrami said officials from the authority were looking into the incident.

Duckels charged for errant blast

By Gary E. Salazar, Staff Reporter, Thursday, May 16, 2002

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Fred Duckels has been charged with a felony and a misdemeanor for an errant dynamite blast that injured a young girl and caused damage to a neighboring property. On Monday, Duckels, who owns Duckels Construction, was charged with two counts of fourth-degree arson by Deputy District Attorney David Moffat. Duckels faces a felony because flying debris from the dynamite blast allegedly injured a 6-year-old girl. He faces the misdemeanor charge for damaging a shed owned by Ashley Gruber in the 27000 block of Moonlight Way . A felony summons for Duckels to appear in Routt County Court in June was sent out Monday. On Wednesday, Duckels could not be reached for comment. Duckels faces the charges for allegedly setting off a dynamite blast at about noon May 1 within the third phase of the Silver Spur Subdivision.  At the time, Duckels was blasting a trench to install water and sewer pipes in the ground. Because of the blast, pieces of shale and dirt clumps were sent flying onto the adjacent homes on the north end of Steamboat II. Flying debris hit a 6-year-old girl in the head. The girl, who was playing with her twin sister in the front yard of a home on Moonlight Way , suffered minor injuries that did not require medical attention. Flying debris also reportedly caused damage to four homes, two cars and two sheds. Moffat filed the two counts of fourth-degree arson against the 62-year-old man because he said it fits the facts of this case. According to state statutes, a person could be charged with the crime if a person knowingly or recklessly causes an explosion on his own property or that of another, and by doing so places another in danger or places any building or occupied structure in danger. Fourth-degree arson is a class four felony if a person is endangered. The charge is a misdemeanor if it involves property. Because of the incident, Duckels’ explosives licenses issued by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment have been suspended. The department has suspended the licenses that allowed Duckels to purchase, store and blast explosives during construction projects. The department alleges Duckels did not get a permit for the blast, did not follow safety regulations and used too much dynamite. All of Duckels’ explosives and tools used to set off dynamite have been confiscated by the Routt County Sheriff’s Office. Duckels can appeal the suspension during a hearing in Denver in June.

Damaged power line causes outage

Published Thu, May 9, 2002 , By CHRIS BENDER, Gazette staff writer

A damaged power line and upgrade work on Lady’s Island left 1,569 South Carolina Electric and Gas customers without power Wednesday afternoon, according to SCE&G spokeswoman Christy Farrell. The power went down at about 2:19 p.m. , Farrell said, and in some areas even traffic lights went out. She said the outage was caused by two events. A contractor on Cat Island was digging near the primary power line there and cut the line, Farrell said. SCE&G workers also were in the area doing upgrades to power lines, she said. SCE&G sent crews out to repair the line and get the power back on, Farrell said. Power was restored to all but 50 customers on Lady’s Island by 2:55 p.m. , Farrell said. The rest had their power back by 3:45 p.m. Farrell said the power line was being moved out of a marsh area near Cat Island to make it more accessible to repair crews. Improvements to the power grid will continue for the next few months, Farrell said. The upgrades aim to make outage times shorter and increase capacity. A power outage Thursday night in the Pigeon Point area left 400 customers without power for four hours, Farrell said, and was caused by a tree limb falling on a power line. The primary line in that area is scheduled to be upgraded later this month, she said

Day Care Evacuated Due To Gas Leak

There is a natural gas leak in North Olmsted , according to NewsChannel5. Police say that a construction crew hit an underground gas pipe at the construction site of a new Tops grocery store on Brookpark extended Road. Dominion East Ohio gas crews are on the scene. As a precaution, 25 children at the Kiddie Kollege day care were evacuated.

Backhoe mishap kills 75-year-old

A Pulaski Township man was killed Sunday after he was crushed by a backhoe in his backyard, state police in New Castle said. Darrell Ellsworth Hoover, 75, of 2620 Pine Glen Road, was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m. at the hospital of Jameson Health System by Dr. Ira Ungar, police said. Hoover suffered massive internal injuries, police said. According to police: At 4:30 p.m., Hoover, who was partly disabled, was servicing a Ford backhoe. He was attempting to charge the backhoe’s battery and was standing between the front and rear wheels near the ignition switch. Hoover failed to realize the vehicle was in gear and attempted to start it. The backhoe moved forward, knocked Hoover to the ground, ran over him and crushed him, police said. Hoover was found by family members a short time later, police said.

After 9 hours, man freed from 14-foot trench

05/04/2002, The Associated Press

HOUSTON – Rescue workers said they had to dig “a spoonful at a time” to free a man who was trapped in a collapsed 14-foot trench. The man, who was not identified, was freed shortly after 8:30 p.m. Friday after being trapped in sweltering soil for nine hours. He was reported in critical condition at Memorial Hermann Hospital, where he was transported by Life Flight. The man climbed into the trench late Friday morning to install plumbing for a southwest Houston strip mall. The trench collapsed around him, covering his body, officials said. “When we got here, all we could see was a patch of hair,” Greg Armstrong, a Houston Fire Department rescue worker, told the Houston Chronicle. “We did not know where his arms and legs were. We had to move very slowly.” The hole, which had no shoring device or grading to prevent collapse, did not meet standards of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, officials at the scene said Friday. Another construction worker, the only other on the site at the time of the accident, called the Fire Department. A nearby rescue crew was able to uncover the man’s head to keep him breathing. But freeing his body – trapped by heavy clay-laden soil that threatened to suffocate and dehydrate him – proved an arduous task. A HFD rescue team of about 40 people worked at a painstaking pace, first to shore the opening to prevent further collapse, and then to remove the dirt. Two-person rescue teams, digging by hand, slowly cleared the hole, manually removing dirt using a pulley system of buckets and shovels. After four hours of digging, the team was able to free the man’s left arm and to administer intravenous fluids and begin feeding him ice chips. “His body is under tremendous pressure,” said Dr. David Persse, the Fire Department’s physician director of emergency medicine. “It is hard to fight off body heat but we have to move slowly as we release pressure because all of his blood vessels will dilate as he is freed. “It is truly amazing for a man who has been packed in dirt for nine hours to survive,” Persse said. The team also was able to equip the man with a headset for communication and pumped oxygen into the hole. “He was telling us he was thirsty, but that’s about all,” said Jay Evans, a fire department spokesman. “His primary concern seems to be, `Get me out,’ ” Evans said. “He is not answering other questions.” The man was working for a subcontractor for the mall. OSHA standards require trenches more than five feet underground to be secure with shoring or slopes to prevent collapses.

Ford Field Workers Evacuated

A broken gas line evacuated hundreds of workers at Ford Field and at the power plant located next door Tuesday morning, Local 4 learned. A contractor hit a gas line, according to DTE officials. The 6-inch main was shut down, Local 4 reported. MichCon crews were on the scene to fix the rupture. The area — located near St. Antoine and Gratiot Avenue — is secure, the station reported. Some workers were allowed to return back to work and some went home for the day, Local 4 reported. Workers said that the evacuation was quick and efficient. No injuries were reported. No other information was available. Ford Field will become the new home of the Detroit Lions this fall.

Man rescued after falling in trench

Authorities rescued a man who fell into a sewer trench Monday morning.

According to the Punta Gorda Police Department, Matthew Whitney, 20, was helping dig a sewer line behind a housing project at 404 East Charlotte Ave. when he slipped on gravel and fell into the 8-foot-deep trench at 10:23 a.m. Police said a portion of the trench wall collapsed, burying Whitney up to his knees in dirt. Wooden planks were placed along the walls of the trench to prevent dirt from falling onto the Charlotte County Fire & EMS medics stabilizing Whitney’s broken ankle. “What you see here is precautionary,” PGPD Lt. Jason Ciaschini told reporters at the scene, where about a dozen medics and firefighters stood by to lend assistance. Ciaschini said Whitney’s life was never in danger and authorities weren’t concerned about the trench caving in. Medics lifted Whitney out of the trench at 11:38 a.m. He was transported to Charlotte Regional Medical Center.

Gas line break evacuates homes, businesses

By Corrie Cutrer and Amy McLaughlin Daily Herald Staff Writers

A Friday morning gas line break in Elk Grove Village forced dozens of people from their homes and businesses, and shut down traffic along a portion of Tonne Road for more than 10 hours. A contractor digging underground to install a cable line hit an 8-inch gas line, authorities said. The break was right underneath electrical wires. Elk Grove Police Deputy Chief Officer Larry Hammar said the contractor, SMC Operations of Chicago, was installing underground cable when workers hit the gas line around 9:30 a.m. Friday. Residents from 15 homes and employees from 20 businesses within three blocks from the leak were immediately evacuated. “Because of the amount of gas, there could be a fire,” said Elk Grove Fire Department Lt. James Denna. “We’re trying to be cautious.” Nicor spokeswoman Janelle Jones said that 60 pounds of pressure travels through underground gas lines. To give people an idea of how much pressure this is, Jones said, it is helpful to keep in mind that only quarter of a pound of gas pressure is used in homes when various appliances are activated. Police and fire officials did not know what utility company contracted SMC Operations to do the work. Shah Quaiyoom, a spokesman for ComEd, said at the scene that the contractor was not doing work for the utility company. About 50 firefighters and Nicor officials worked throughout the day to seal the leak and then turn off the gas to assess the damage. There was a strong smell of gas throughout the area. Although SMC had hired SMP Utility and Resources to mark the underground gas lines for construction workers, Hammar said that it can be difficult to determine exactly where the lines are located. “It’s not an exact science,” Hammar said. “There’s so much stuff underground.” The stretch of road along Tonne from Laurel Street to Elk Grove Boulevard was blocked off all day as officials tried to control the leak. Jones said the damaged line was probably buried 3 to 4 feet underground. Nicor officials worked to seal the line within half a block on each side of the leak before turning off the gas and examining the damage. “This is something through the summer months that (can) occur as construction works goes on,” Jones said. Preschool workers at Elk Grove Presbyterian Church sent 20 students home on Friday afternoon as they evacuated the church building on the corner of Tonne and Elk Grove Boulevard. Preschool director Linda VanCuyk said the police began evacuating the church around 12:30 p.m. “They were going up and down the block telling everybody they needed to get out,” said VanCuyk. Children from the morning class had already left and she was able to tell parents who were dropping off their children for the afternoon class to take them back home. Employees at Grecian Delight, a food manufacturing company, were evacuated Friday morning. Account manager Dorothy Maram said she left for an early lunch but assumed she would be able to enter the building a few hours later. “We thought we could just come back and go to work,” Maram said. “But the police said you can’t go back. “No shipments can come in,” Maram said. “This is the end of our accounting period so we need to make sure we finalize our bills and let shipments in.” Maram eventually decided to go home because she could not enter the building. But Francisco Sarmiento, who was arriving Friday afternoon for a shift with the sanitation crew for Grecian Delight, said he would just wait around until it was safe to go back. “We’ve got to do our job,” Sarmiento said. “If we go home, we’ve got to come back.” Gas: Damaged line 3 to 4 feet underground.

UPDATE, Fatal Trench Cave-In Brings Alabama Company $99,000 In OSHA Fines

FORESTDALE, Ala. — Failing to protect workers from a possible trench collapse may cost Bessemer, Ala.-based waterproofing contractor Jeff Reid $99,000, according to the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. On Jan. 14, three laborers Reid hired for the day were excavating a trench around a Forestdale residence in preparation for waterproofing the basement walls. When the nine-foot deep, three-foot wide unprotected trench collapsed, two workers escaped but the third was buried and suffocated before he could be rescued. “Placing workers in harm’s way by allowing them to enter an excavation without protection against a treacherous cave-in shows plain indifference to employee safety and OSHA standards,” said Roberto Sanchez, OSHA’s Birmingham area director. Following an inspection of the fatality, OSHA cited Jeff Reid with one alleged willful safety violation and proposed a penalty of $63,000 for failing to shore or slope trench walls or otherwise protect employees from potential injury or death while working in an excavation. “Like many construction companies, Jeff Reid frequently hired Spanish speaking day laborers,” said Sanchez. “Employers have a responsibility to provide these workers a safe work environment and training they can understand,” said Sanchez. The area director pointed out that Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, recognizing the risks posed by a language barrier, recently announced special initiatives aimed at improving safety and health for the rapidly expanding Hispanic workforce. Five serious citations, with penalties totaling $31,500, were issued for additional violations of trench safety standards. These included failing to train workers, many of whom were day laborers, in excavation safety; not providing head protection; no safe means of entering and exiting the trench; failing to move excavated material a safe distance from the edge of the trench, and not assuring that a competent person inspected the excavation. Because the employer failed to report the fatality to OSHA within the required eight-hours, a further penalty of $4,500 was imposed. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. A serious violation is one where there is a substantial probability that death or serious harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. Jeff Reid has 15 working days to contest OSHA’s citations and proposed penalties. The inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Birmingham area office located at Vestavia Village , 2047 Canyon Rd. , Birmingham , Ala. 35216 ; telephone: 205-731-1534.

Gas line rupture spurs evacuation

MILFORD — Several businesses were evacuated early Tuesday after a backhoe excavating a sidewalk on Old Gate Lane ruptured a gas line. The incident occurred shortly before 9:30 a.m. when a backhoe working in front of Duchess Diner at 345 Old Gate Lane struck a utility line beneath the surface, rupturing the pipe and sending dangerous gas vapors into the air, Capt. Richard Mohr said. The Fire Department responded to the incident with a “full assignment” that included three fire engines, an aerial truck and paramedic crews, as well as a hazardous materials officer and safety officer. Firefighters evacuated the restaurant and nearby businesses, including a gas station, Mohr said. Authorities also closed off all roads leading to the area and cordoned off a stretch of Old Gate Lane between the Exit 40 off-ramp of Interstate 95 and Woodmont Road . The businesses were evacuated to remove any potential source of ignition from the area, Mohr said. Fire officials used meters to check the area for dangerous gas levels, which were kept to a minimum because of windy conditions that dissipated the threat, he said. A crew from Southern Connecticut Gas Co arrived shortly after and clamped off the leak to avert further danger. The gas line leads into the diner, which reopened shortly after the incident. The road was reopened at about 9:43 a.m. , Mohr said.

Man burned in pipeline explosion

April 23, 2002 , by Shane Benjamin, Herald Staff Writer

A Durango man suffered burns over 78 percent of his body Monday morning after striking a natural gas pipeline with a backhoe in southern La Plata County . Scott Newbold, 44, was taken to Mercy Medical Center , then flown to the University of New Mexico Medical Center in Albuquerque , where he was in critical condition at 7:30 p.m. Monday, said a nurse at the hospital. Firefighters believe Newbold was installing one of two large wooden posts to be used to support a metal gate in front of a residence in High Flume Canyon, about 15 miles south of Durango, when he struck the gas line. The line began leaking gas, which was ignited by a spark or heat source. It was unknown if the residence was Newbold’s or if he was hired to install the gate. Someone called 911 at 11:15 a.m. , and firefighters arrived 19 minutes later to see a stream of fire shooting 50 feet into the air, said Mick Stowers, of the Durango Fire & Rescue Authority. “It was blowing pretty high,” Stowers said. Although the backhoe was destroyed by the fire, the blaze stayed contained within the area and only burned a few trees. The pipeline, which is owned by BP, is a 6-inch fiberglass gathering line used to carry natural gas from about a half dozen wells to a central system for processing, said Daren Beaudo, director of public affairs for BP in Houston. “It’s kind of like a spoke on a wheel,” Beaudo said. BP officials shut off the gas flow in the line and called in the company’s local emergency response team, made up of area gas workers, to help coordinate communications and resources, he said. “It just provides a good response network,” Beaudo said. It appeared that Newbold failed to make use of the “one-call system,” which asks people to call a 1-800 number before digging in certain areas, he said. A yellow post with the warning and phone number was located 15 feet away from the site of the accident. “It doesn’t appear that that number was called,” Beaudo said. The number, (800) 922-1987, works for the whole state of Colorado , and when called, someone from the industry will go out to the property and identify exactly where pipelines exist. The Durango Fire & Rescue Authority responded with two engines, two tankers and a brush truck, said spokesman David Abercrombie. Reach Staff Writer Shane Benjamin at [email protected].

Co-workers save Taunton man’s life

KEVIN SALEEBA, Gazette Staff Writer

EASTON — After being buried alive in a sewer trench yesterday, a Taunton man was rescued and taken by helicopter to a Boston hospital.  About 2 p.m. , Rui Resendes, 39, of 27 Pearl St. , was installing a sewer line in a 12-foot trench for the Rolling Pine Condominiums at 1 Meadowbrook Lane when the trench collapsed, burying him alive. “It was definitely a life threatening situation,” said Lt. Tom Kominsky of the Easton Police Department. “His fellow workers and rescue workers were able to free his face fast enough so he could breathe. That probably saved his life.” It took rescue workers a little more than an hour to completely free Resendes from the trench. Kominsky said the collapse occurred when the trench was dug too deep. “After a certain depth, there needs to be enough support or it will collapse,” he said. The Easton Police and Fire departments and the Department of Public Safety assisted in the rescue effort. Resendes is employed by Pride Environmental and Construction Inc. of Taunton .

UPDATE, Port Deposit contractor accepts state settlement in fatal trench collapse; MOSH orders safety training and work rules

By Michael White, April 18, 2002

The contractor at the site of a trench collapse that killed a North East man last December settled with Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) officials in a recent informal hearing. The case is now closed, said Stephen Miller, Region III supervisor at MOSH. The Port Deposit-based M&M Paving and Construction Inc. was cited in March with seven violations of the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Act for the mishap in which one worker, Norman Pyle McCann, 50, was killed and another worker injured when the dirt walls of a 17-foot-deep trench collapsed on top of them. The incident occurred Dec. 10 at a large dairy operation near Rising Sun, where M & M Paving was contracted to install a nutrient management system – a holding pond for animal waste – mandated by state law. Proposed fines against the company had totaled $12,750. But the final settlement amount was unknown. MOSH officials did not return phone calls from the Whig on Wednesday. The case was heard in an informal meeting before the state’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, of which MOSH is a part. As a result, the contractor was ordered to initiate a safety and health program with policy, hazard assessment and work rules. The contractor was ordered to also train employees in the recognition and avoidance of hazards associated with excavation and trenching work. The abatement date for those items was set for March 30. The aim of the informal meeting is to lower fines that violations carry with them by showing prompt rectification of the violations, said MOSH Public Information Officer Joseph Seidel in an earlier interview. Miller, the regional MOSH supervisor, said 95 percent of cases are settled during the informal hearing. “They showed various forms of abatement,” he said. “The settlement was reviewed and accepted and we were able to settle the case. That happens a lot. Ninety-five percent of cases are settled during the informal (meeting).” Attempts to reach the contractor’s lawyer were unsuccessful.

OSHA investigates fatal accident near Rehoboth

By Kerry Kester

The Delaware State Police Major Crimes Unit and Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) are investigating an industrial accident that claimed the life of William H. Harris II, 22, of Felton. The incident occurred at 10:55 a.m. , April 6, at the Kinsale Glen construction site behind Baltimore Trust. Harris was in a trench laying drainage pipes for Marvel Contracting, when a section of the trench collapsed on him. Although coworkers and rescue workers were able to get Harris out of the trench and transported to Beebe Medical Center , he was declared dead at 11:44 . The state police is investigating the case as a matter of policy, not because foul play is suspected. The investigation is now under OSHA’s jurisdiction. A witness at the accident site stated the trench was about 10 feet deep and did not have a shoring system, which may be a violation of federal law. Federal regulations for excavation sites are as follows: “Each employee in an excavation shall be protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system…except when excavations are made entirely in stable rock…excavations are less than 5 feet in depth and examination of the ground by a competent person provides no indication of a potential cave-in.” The law also states “protective systems shall have the capacity to resist without failure all loads that are intended or could reasonably be expected to be applied or transmitted to the system.” Federal regulations include sloping systems, sloping and benching systems, shield systems – such as trench boxes – as typical types of protective systems. “The employer shall be responsible for providing a safe and healthful working environment,” said Vincent Soss, OSHA assistant area director from the Wilmington-area OSHA office, citing a decades-old OSHA act. Pat Horsey, representing the contracting work under way at the Jungle Jim’s work site, said she was not at liberty to make any comments about the Rehoboth Beach accident. Because the Rehoboth Beach case is open, said Voss, he is also unable to comment about any specific investigation details. However, he said the investigation process in general involves three aspects: an opening conference, walk-around and closing conference. OSHA investigators have six months from the time of an incident to determine whether citations should be issued and if warranted, begin the process of doing so. The opening conference and walk-around, said Soss, generally occur at about the same time. Investigators in the Rehoboth Beach incident did both the day of the accident. The opening conference, said Soss, is when inspectors go to a work site and outline the nature of their visit and why they were summoned. The closing conference, he said, involves OSHA representatives explaining to company personnel, usually owners, whether investigators found compliance violations and outline the company’s rights and responsibilities. In some cases, said Soss, it is during the closing conference when an OSHA representative could also offer methods of abatement if a company is found in violation of OSHA standards. Soss said convictions for compliance violations are divided into three categories: other than serious, which carries up to a $1,000 fine; serious, which carries up to a $5,000 fine; and intentional disregard or plain indifference to the standard, which carries up to a $70,000 fine. In the most serious cases where willful disregard causes a death, OSHA may then turn the case over to the Department of Justice, which in turn would determine whether to file criminal charges. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 49 deaths in 2000 that occurred at excavation sites. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports cave-ins occur because of unstable soil conditions. Soss said specific regulations relative to how a site is shored vary depending on soil classification, but he could not say how the soil at the Rehoboth Beach site is classified because that information pertains to an aspect of the investigation. Depending on the soil classification, at certain depths, the sides of the trenches must be braced in some manner, which can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Sites in close proximity to backfilled areas or that could be subjected to vibrations from heavy machinery, such as railroads, have even more stringent regulations for shoring a trench. In fact, although NIOSH is not a regulatory organization, it recommends employers provide shoring systems or employ sloping strategies whenever a trench is between 5 feet and 24 feet deep, regardless of the soil classification – unless it is stable rock. In “Trenching and Excavation: Safety Principles,” by Larry C. Brown, Kent L. Kramer, Thomas L. Bean and Timothy J. Lawrence of Ohio State University, soil can weigh more than 100 pounds per cubic square foot. “A cubic yard of soil [3-by-3-by-3 feet], which contains 27 cubic feet of material, may weigh more than 2,700 pounds. That is nearly one and a half tons…in a space less than the size of the average office desk,” the paper states. The paper further notes that during excavation, the balance normally found in soil is upset, which can cause soil movement at the base of the trench wall. Once the base fails, the remainder of the wall will quickly begin collapsing.  For more information about construction-related safety regulations, visit the OSHA website at www.osha.gov/index.html.

Gas main break disrupts traffic for most of day, Repair work goes late into the night

From staff reports, Published April 11, 2002 11:29 AM CDT

LONDON — A stench encircled the intersection of High Street and Keny Boulevard yesterday as crews worked late into the night to repair yet another road construction problem. The air shimmered with leaking gas above the pit where construction equipment had been digging until about 10:30 a.m. when it hit the six-inch gas main in front of Advanced Drainage Systems. No one was evacuated. Reports have not indicated that anyone was out of service because of the damage to the major transmission line that supplies the factories on Route 142 as well as a large portion of the northern half of the city. Another pipe was installed by Columbia Gas to bypass the damaged line and provide service to customers. “By my understanding, no customers were ever out of service,” said Frank Davis, operations center manager with Columbia Gas in Springfield. “We kept them all in service and worked throughout the night. We had a crew there until the repairs were made.” Rob Green, superintendent with Fort Defiance Construction, working on the East High Street project, said his crew was digging to put in a sanitary sewer force main when the gas line broke. “We called in as required by state law to have everything marked,” he said, pointing to small orange flags behind the earthmover Wednesday afternoon. He said the flags, left by Columbia Gas, had marked the gas line as running 30 feet from where it was broken. London Safety-Service Director Steve Hume said there were no markings in the vicinity of where the crew hit the line. “We accept no responsibility for this,” Green said, adding that the company lost a day’s work because of the break. To repair damages, a Columbia Gas crew was on site until 3 a.m. cutting out a section of the pipe and fittings and welding a new piece of pipe in place. “The damage only affected about 20 feet of pipe, but the bypass installed to keep customers in service affected about 100 feet of pipe,” Davis added. London firefighters, police and members of the street department directed employees of Stanley Electric and ADS and residents of the area to alternative routes while repairs were made into the night. Employees of London Industries and The Madison House also suffered headaches getting to work throughout the day. “It’s tough on the residents out there who have to put up with it,” Hume said. “It left an awful lot of folks scratching their heads trying to figure out a way around. It’s not an easy task when the normal road pattern is messed up to start with. “They were all able to get to where they needed to, but not the way they are used to. By all means I’m sure the residents are frustrated. This was something not anticipated whatsoever.” The London Fire Department was on the scene until 9 p.m. with the Jefferson Township Fire Department covering the city until 3 p.m. and responding to two actual fires in the city, according to firefighter Chad Lawhun. Central Townships Fire Department took over city coverage until 9 p.m. while a crew of five city firefighters helped direct traffic around the area until the problem was fixed and stood by in case of an emergency. According to an incident report from the London Police Department, Keny Boulevard was closed for a majority of the day and High Street was adversely impacted by automobiles needing to find other routes. “We appreciate the patience of customers and the general public. We appreciate the huge cooperation from the police and fire departments. We couldn’t have done work without their huge help,” Davis said. As for assessing responsibility for the break, Davis said that would have to wait. This morning, Davis said Columbia Gas had not gotten to the investigative part yet. “We want to know what happened, but safety is the first concern, protecting the lives and property of our customers, and to keep people working,” he said. “We’re not looking to place blame right now.” Today, traffic flow patterns returned to normal and Ft. Defiance construction crews were able to return to finishing up sidewalks along High Street and infrastructure work on east of Keny Boulevard and west of Maple Street.

Good deed almost dooms man; Hole collapses as he tries to fix a clogged pipeline

April 8, 2002 , BY NANCY A. YOUSSEF, FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Jesse Brown of Detroit went to work Saturday to avert a large problem. Instead, he landed at the heart of one. Brown, an electrician for the City of Detroit who does construction work on the side, said he likes to voluntarily fix water-line problems for people who couldn’t otherwise afford it. But when he went to dig a trench to fix a clogged pipeline that afternoon, the hole collapsed around him, and he was trapped for nearly nine hours. At one point, only his head and neck were visible amid tons of dirt. “I was worried the whole time that the wall was going to fall on my head, and I wouldn’t be able to breathe,” Brown said. Fire department personnel rescued Brown. He was transported to St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit , where he was in good condition Sunday night. Officials also rescued his brother, Harvey Brown, 33, who was trapped in the same trench for two hours. On Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Service, which oversees worker safety, said it will investigate the cause of the collapse and determine if any state regulations were violated. Among the things the department regulates for trenches are what kind of structure should support a trench’s wall and what the slope should be. Both variables depend on the width and depth of the hole, said Maura Campbell, a spokeswoman for the department. Brown said he was there to fix a pipe at the home of an elderly woman in the 12800 block of St. Louis Street in Detroit and who could not afford the estimated $3,000 it would cost to remove the tree root blocking her sewage line. “My mother and father lived on a fixed income. I know how much the elderly struggle” financially, said Brown, 42, from his hospital room Sunday. “And having a clogged sewage pipe is a health issue.” Brown said that as he began working Thursday, a neighbor called the city’s Water and Sewage Department, concerned about what Brown was doing. A department employee inspected Brown’s work twice, he said, as late as one hour before the collapse. “They said everything was OK,” he said, adding city residents are responsible for maintaining any sewage lines that run from their house to a city pipe. By around noon Saturday, Brown said he and his brother had finished digging the 16-foot trench and had found the clog. “We were getting ready to shore the walls,” Jesse Brown said. “After that, we just needed to replace a $50 pipe and we were out of there.” But as Harvey Brown was making his way out, his left foot slipped and he began to fall. Jesse Brown said he tried to help his brother, and that’s when the walls around him began to collapse. Fire personnel built supports around the wall and sucked out the dirt using a vacuum. Then they pulled Jesse Brown out of the hole around 9:30 p.m. Now, he is trying to determine what effect the accident had on his right leg, which is still numb. Brown estimated that he does about half of his construction work for free in an effort to help the community. Contact NANCY A. YOUSSEF at 586-469-8087 or [email protected].

Construction accident kills man

By Veronica Chapin, Times-Union staff writer

A 21-year-old construction worker died this morning when the trench he was working in caved in about 8:15 at a Jacksonville office condominium site. Mounds of heavy, wet dirt barreled down on the man at about 40 to 50 mph, crushing and burying him to about his chest, said sheriff’s Sgt. Randy Justice. He and some men were laying electrical pipe in the ditch, about 6 feet deep and 5 feet wide, in the 6800 block Belfort Oaks Place. The other man in the ditch was able to get clear of the landslide as two others were handing them the 5-inch PVC electrical conduit pipe. The victim’s name has not been released. Morales Construction Co. Inc. had started to clear the bare piece of property for the Belfort Oaks Village. The victim worked for subcontractor Rey Electric Co., Justice said. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death.

Worker Rescued in Trench Accident
Reported by Val Clark
A worker who was rescued from a trench in Auburn Hills was taken to the hospital with serious injuries Monday evening. The man was buried when the ground around him caved in. The injured worker is a 57-year-old man from Hazel Park . As soon as he is able to talk, investigators will want to ask him exactly why he jumped in at the wrong end of the trench. For now, he is undergoing surgery for internal injuries. During the half hour the worker was trapped in the eight-foot hole, the weight of the dirt that collapsed around him was enough to compress his abdomen and lower body. Stunned coworkers frantically tried to free him, and EMS technicians completed the rescue effort. An inspector for the city happened to be on site. “A couple of people went down in the trench and started giving mouth to mouth. I was busy on the radio with 911 police and everybody.” “How dangerous is this type of job?” Channel 7’s Val Clark asked the city inspector. “Very dangerous, but contractor was taking precautions.” The digging was taking place in the median on Squirrel Road in Auburn Hills. Sheets of steel needed to hold back the dirt were being used. “Any time they’re working in the shaft, we put that in and then they shore it up so that the walls don’t cave in. He was in an area that hadn’t been shored up yet,” said John Burmeister of the Auburn Hills Fire Department. “Should he have been in that area?” Clark asked. “I can’t really say.” “It’s very dangerous. Any time you go 10 feet below ground, it’s dangerous,” the city inspector said. “It was very frightening. One minute you are alive, and the next minute you’re trapped.” The man had been working with a company that was doing some excavation for Detroit Edison. MIOSHA is in charge of this investigation, and for now that agency has shut the job site down.

UPDATE, OSHA will cite Dallas firm for violations at site of death
By DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR., Star-Telegram Staff Writer

GRAPEVINE – A Dallas engineering company faces up to $15,000 in fines for alleged safety violations at a Denton construction site where an employee died in February after being buried alive, officials said Monday. Three citations are to be sent later this week to Reed Engineering Group of Dallas , said Mike Talmont, assistant area director of the Occcupational Safety and Health Administration. Elan Allen, 41, of Grapevine, suffocated after being buried alive in a construction trench. His death was ruled accidental by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Allen, who was buried in the trench for a week before his body was found, was employed by Reed at the time of the accident, officials said. Allen’s body was found 12 to 15 feet below the surface, police said. “I haven’t seen the citations so I can’t comment,” Ron Reed, president of Reed Engineering Group of Dallas , said Monday. Julie Ann Allen of Grapevine, Elan Allen’s wife, could not be reached Monday for comment. The citations state that the Dallas company did not provide cave-in protection; that Allen lacked training; and that there was no one at the site competent to supervise Allen, who was taking soil samples. “These are considered serious violations,” Talmont said. The citations stem from a month-long investigation by OSHA officials who interviewed witnesses and viewed photographs taken by authorities at the scene. The Dallas company faces a maximum fine of $5,000 on each citation, officials said. Fines are determined by the company’s safety record, the size of the company and its safety program, Talmont said. The company had no recent history of safety violations, OSHA officials said. Allen was reported missing Feb. 22 after he failed to meet his wife for her birthday dinner. He was last seen at the construction site in the 1400 block of South Loop 288 in Denton . Crews searched the site for a week before Denton city workers using an excavator found Allen’s body. Allen’s body was found upright in the trench with a piece of concrete on top of him, Talmont said. OSHA officials could not determine whether Allen died because of a cave-in or dirt was dumped on him with a backhoe. Workers were using heavy equipment in the area on the day Allen died. No citations are expected to be issued against Lacy Construction of Dallas, the company building a shopping center at the construction site.

Area residents urged to stay indoors, close windows

The Associated Press

ABINGDON — Residents of four subdivisions and three other neighborhoods near the site of a gas main break were being asked to remain indoors with their windows closed, Harford County officials said today. County spokeswoman Merrie Street said the affected homes were in Crystal Ridge Court, Timbers Court, Mill Road and Deer Chase Court. The request also applied to residents living in the 3600 block of Philadelphia Road and portions of Wilson Avenue and Peverly Drive, she said. The sheriff’s office was calling the homes to issue the request, according to officials. Street said a backhoe struck a 4-inch gas main in the 400 block of Abingdon Road about 10:30 a.m. this morning, allowing fumes to escape into the air. Baltimore Gas and Electric crews were digging to find the valve that will close the leak, she said. The backhoe was still on top of the broken line, officials said.

Dead man’s family gets $1 million

03/28/02, By TOM QUIGLEY, The Express-Times

FLEMINGTON – The family of a man killed while working in a drainage ditch at Hunterdon Central Regional High School’s baseball field eight years ago has received $1 million in a settlement with the school’s insurance company. Matthew Pfenninger, 29, of Raritan Township died Aug. 24, 1994 when the walls of the 8- to 9-foot-deep ditch collapsed and crushed him. Clinton Township attorneys Michael Midlige and Victor A. Rotolo announced the settlement Wednesday from their Route 31 offices. Their firm represents the victim’s family. Pfenninger was the owner-operator of Countywide Paving and was laying sections of perforated PVC pipe in the ditch he excavated alongside the baseball field. The two attorneys said the school contracted with Pfenninger to provide labor and equipment for the job, while the school would handle the purchase of supplies. The contract called for the school to purchase 100-foot rolls of so-called poly pipe for the job, the attorneys said. Instead, the school ordered 8- to 10-foot sections of the PVC pipe. That forced Pfenninger to climb down into the ditch to lay the pipe sections, the attorneys said. They said Pfenninger was under enormous pressure to complete the job before classes resumed the following month. Rescuers tried unsuccessfully to pull Pfenninger from the ditch. His body was retrieved later that night. The victim’s wife, Lisa Pfenninger, their two children and another family went to the job site to have lunch with Pfenninger and left just 90 minutes before the incident. Lisa Pfenninger – who remarried six years later – said the settlement shows her Matthew Pfenninger was not at fault. School officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday and the district has not admitted any wrongdoing in the case. Lisa Pfenninger said the size of the settlement indicates the district is accepting blame. “I was pleased that we were going to have some closure,” she said. She described the settlement as “bittersweet.” “It’s not going to replace Matt,” she said. “He’s not coming back.” She said she didn’t want her children to think their father was careless in his work. “He was very meticulous and ran a good business,” she said. Lisa Pfenninger is now married to Rudy Heierling and lives in the Flemington area. She retained her first husband’s surname. “We were inseparable, definitely soul mates,” she said. “I was there for him all the time and he was there for me all the time.” The two knew one another since attending Hunterdon Central. The case – in the state courts for years – was settled March 8 after being assigned to a retired judge for mediation. About 23 percent of the settlement will go the attorneys.

Construction worker freed from trench in Cobb

By DOUG NURSE, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff Writer

Federal safety investigators are examining why a trench wall caved in on a construction worker at a Cobb County elementary school Friday morning. Two Cobb government spokesmen said they were told by another construction crew member that the crew didn’t put in required shoring because it would have damaged a pipe uncovered in the trench. If confirmed, the lack of shoring would be a violation of federal guidelines, said Susan Johnston, area director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “OSHA standards require that whenever someone is in a trench more than five feet deep, there has to be protection for the employee,” she said. “You have to make it safe before an employee enters it.” Officials for the contracting company, Red Hawk Construction from Duluth, could not be reached for comment. The worker, Curtis Williams, 45, was being treated at North Fulton Regional Hospital after being extricated about 2 p.m., about 5 1/2 hours after the wall caved in on him. Williams was part of a crew installing sewerage pipe as part of an expansion of Tritt Elementary School. A heavy equipment operator at the site said the crew didn’t want to install a device to shore up the sides because it would damage a pipe in the bottom of the trench, according to Dan Dupre of the Cobb County Fire Department and Jay Dillon, Cobb County Public Schools spokesman. The worker told Dupre and Dillon that the crew was trying to widen the trench to make it safer. The trench measured 12 to 14 feet deep, 10 feet wide and 30 feet long. Dupre said the co-worker saw the wall cave in on Williams, who was buried up to the top of his head. Fellow employees cleared his head, and alerted authorities who responded with about 35 to 40 rescue workers and supporting personnel. OSHA regulations require that crews either slope the trenches so they can’t cave in; install trench boxes, which are large steel walls; or install other shoring to make the walls secure, Johnston said. Failure to make trenches safe is punishable by a $7,000 fine, although if federal investigators determine it was willful or a repeated violation, the fine could range as high as $70,000.

Pit has been dug, filled for years

By Henry Winckel, The Porterville Recorder

The 15-foot-deep pit in which two young girls died Wednesday afternoon is on 10 acres of property owned by the Porterville Cemeteries District. The pit has been continuously dug and filled by the district for years, said Manager Carlos Martinez. The dirt is used to backfill burial plots at the cemetery. It is also used to deposit excess dirt following burials. The pit, at the east end of Orange Avenue, is directly across from John J. Doyle Elementary School. A school custodian said he frequently sees children either playing in the lot or using it as a shortcut to get home. A 5-foot fence topped with barbed wire partially surrounds the property, but the fence has holes through which children can easily crawl. Additionally, a large section of the fence is missing. It was destroyed in a traffic accident and never repaired. The date of the accident hasn’t been confirmed. A neighbor of the property said he has often seen children playing in the pit. He said he called the cemeteries district several weeks ago and warned them, but the district responded it was OK as long as no one was hurt. Martinez denied the allegation. “That’s not true,” he said this morning. “We welcome any information from the public and would never answer them in that manner.” Martinez also said that the district was advised to fill in the pit by sheriff’s deputies. Witnesses said that two backhoes were working at the pit at 3 a.m. Thursday. Martinez said Thursday he could not comment on the tragic incident because of an ongoing investigation, except to express his “deepest regret” to the family of the girls. The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also known as Cal-OSHA, is investigating the deaths.

WORKER DIES IN FREAK ACCIDENT

09:00 – 14 March 2002

A man was crushed to death by a mechanical digger in a Devon village yesterday. The 37-year-old unnamed worker from Dorset was digging a site close to the Drum Inn at Cockington, near Torquay. Police said the control joystick of his JCB excavator caught his coat while he was trying to climb out. The stick then got out of control and turned the bucket arm towards the worker, crushing him. An ambulance helicopter arrived soon after the accident but the worker died on the way to Torbay Hospital. A spokesman for the Drum Inn said: “It was a terrible tragedy.”

Broken gas line fuels explosion

Tracey Read Staff Writer, March 12, 2002

Lynn Diederich left work early Monday afternoon after learning a broken natural gas line caused an explosion in his Maple Heights neighborhood. But the Lee Road resident wasn’t too concerned about possible damage to his house. “I came home for her,” he said, gesturing to his poodle, Patsy, who was cradled in his arms while Diederich watched the action outside his house. “She was scared to death! I wanted to make sure the dog was safe.” Diederich was one of several residents who live near the commercial Lee/Libby Road area who were told to evacuate their homes as a precaution after a private construction crew ruptured a 20-inch gas line around 3 p.m., said Jeffrey Zidonis, a spokesman for Dominion East Ohio. “We, by chance, had some crews in the neighborhood, so we got there very quickly,” Zidonis said. “Then the initial explosion occurred about 30 minutes later. Something ignited the gas that was spewing out. Something like this is very, very rare.” By 4 p.m., the fire burned out, after the natural gas was shut off. Officials still were investigating what ignited the gas Monday evening. “The fortunate thing in all this is that we were in place when it happened, and that nobody was injured,” Zidonis said. “We also didn’t lose any service to any of our customers, except for about 40 homes and businesses we cut off as a precautionary measure.” The fire caused flames more than 150 feet into the air, and caused substantial damage to Walgreen’s Drug Store and some heavy equipment. In addition, a number of vehicles – including a police car – near the scene were engulfed in flames. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Engineering firm fined after death

BY JONATHAN BARNES, March 12, 2002 04:39

ONE of the region’s top engineering firms has been fined #30,000 after the father of two young children was killed in an horrific workplace accident. Thirty-four-year-old Neville Cook, of Lowestoft, was crushed between a concrete pipe and a 21-tonne excavator as he laid sewage pipes in November 2000. He lost both his legs in the accident and died 10 days later in Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. The father-of-two was working at the construction site in Lowestoft for Christopher Nicholson, a sub-contractor for Ipswich-based firm Jackson Civil Engineering. Company chiefs sat in the dock at Chelmsford Crown Court yesterdayas the firm was given a #30,000 penalty after admitting it had failed to ensure a safe working area. Mr Nicholson, 58, of High Road, Needham, near Diss, was also fined #7,500 after pleading guilty to failing to ensure the safety of his employees. Prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, Sam Mainds said Mr Cook had been working on a #1.9 million contract to install new sewage pipes beneath the Birds Eye Ness Point car park. He said the disaster was “an accident waiting to happen” as the excavator had moved too close to a pile of pipes in the trench in which Mr Cook was working. He was struck as the back of the JCB digger swung around and then crushed against the 1.1 tonne pipe. Mr Mainds claimed the firm had not reacted sufficiently to a fatal accident in Milton Keynes just seven months earlier, when a worker had died in “almost identical” circumstances. But James Ageros, mitigating for Jackson Civil Engineering, said the disaster was “an isolated event” which resulted in the company’s first prosecution in 50 years. This was in no way an accident waiting to happen,” he said. Mr Ageros said safety improvements had been made since the accident at Milton Keynes – where the firm was not the principle contractor – and stressed the circumstances were “very different”. David Lamming, for Nicholson, said his client also had an “unblemished” safety record in 27 years of work. He said a combination of unfortunate circumstances had contributed to the accident. Judge Christopher Ball QC accepted the firm had reacted to “warning bells” after the accident at Milton Keynes – and said Mr Cook’s death was “a tragic accident”. But he added: “For a short period of time risks were taken and systems that were in place failed to deal with situations arising.” He also awarded costs of #10,000 against Jackson Civil Engineering and #4,991 against Nicholson. Mr Cook, of Clemence Street, had been with his partner, Tracy Wilson, for seven years and the couple had two children, Megan and Liam. Following 10 years working at a chicken processing plant, he had been employed at the construction site with Tracy’s brother Gary, who was the site’s foreman.

UPDATE, Contractor to contest trench collapse fines

By Michael White, March 07, 2002

A lawyer representing M & M Paving and Construction has requested an informal conference with state safety officials to discuss citations filed after the fatal trench collapse Dec. 10 near Rising Sun. The company was cited last week with seven violations of the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Act for the mishap in which one worker, Norman Pyle McCann, 50, of North East, was killed and another worker was injured when the dirt walls of a 17-foot-deep trench collapsed on top of them. Elkton lawyer Joseph Mahoney said the case will be heard before the state’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation to discuss fines imposed. The current proposed fines against the company total $12,750. “We’ve requested an informal hearing. As far as that’s concerned, we are contesting,” Mahoney said. “It’s a procedural thing to show abatements about correcting some of the problems, and to (negotiate fines accordingly). “That’s my understanding of how it works,” he said. The incident occurred at a large dairy operation near Rising Sun, where M & M Paving was contracted to install a nutrient management system – or holding pond for animal waste – mandated by state law. Three days later, a state MOSH official held an opening conference and interviews with the corporate officers of the construction company, including Michael Brooks and Harvey McNatt. McNatt was on scene when the ditch caved in. The conference took place with MOSH Region III Supervisor Steve Miller at the MOSH satellite office in Bel Air, according to state investigator Ken Johnson’s 84-page report obtained by the Whig Monday. The groups met again in Elkton at a closing conference Feb. 6. All interviews and conference details are being withheld from the public at this time, safety officials said. The citation of notification and penalty document issued to the contractor on Feb. 25 stated the corporation must abate violations by the dates listed, and pay the penalties. M&M Paving may contest either all citation items or individual items. The corporation may also challenge the penalties and abatement dates without contesting the underlying violations; according to the citation document they have 15 working days to do so. Company representatives must bring to the conference supporting documentation of existing conditions and abatement steps taken thus far. If conditions warrant, the agency may settle the case without litigation or contest. Mahoney did not say exactly what violations, if any, or fines the company will contest, but he said abatement steps will be documented during the informal hearing. With the exception of on-site violations dating back to the Dec. 10 incident – including unprotected excavation – the corporation must initiate a safety and health program with policy, hazard assessment and work rules, and train employees in the recognition and avoidance of hazards associated with excavation and trenching work. Proper documentation for the installation of these programs includes photographs, receipts, copies of programs, training certification and the like. The abatement date set for these items is March 30. Prompt rectification of the alleged violations often serves to lower fines violations carry with them, said MOSH Public Information Officer Joseph Seidel, explaining the aim of the informal meeting.

Missing engineer is found dead
By DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR. and MIKE LEE, Star-Telegram Staff Writers

DENTON – The body of a missing Grapevine engineer was found Friday morning in a deep trench at a construction site, a week after he disappeared while taking soil samples, police said. Denton city workers using an excavator found the body of Elan Allen, 41, about 9:15 a.m. in the 1400 block of South Loop 288. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office is expected to make a ruling on his death in a few days. Police said there were no signs of foul play. “Absolutely, it was an accident,” said Julie Ann Allen, Allen’s wife, as she fought back tears at a news conference in Heritage Church-United Methodist in Grapevine, where the couple were members. “He was the most awesome man. Everyone that knew him loved him.” Allen was reported missing Feb. 22 after he did not meet his wife for her birthday dinner. Allen, who worked for Reed Engineering of Dallas, was taking soil samples from five deep trenches at the construction site, police said. The site, the future home of a shopping center, is at least 10 acres and consists mostly of freshly turned dirt. Officials at Lacy Construction of Dallas, the company building the shopping center, did not return a telephone call seeking comment Friday. The incident has prompted an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said Rick Ranck, OSHA’s assistant director of the Fort Worth area. “We’ll have an inspector at the site as soon as possible to gather information,” he said. “We’ll be checking for any violations.” Ranck said the investigation could take six months. The medical examiner will not positively identify the body until Monday at earliest, but detectives tentatively identified Allen from information in a billfold, said Jim Bryan, a Denton police spokesman. Detectives and workers in the Denton drainage department had been digging with the excavator for about two hours when they found the body, Bryan said. Detectives found other items in the trench, including sample-collection jars and what appeared to be a dirt-caked roll of blueprints. Several other personal items were removed in paper and plastic bags, and workers loaded several large clumps of earth onto a city truck. After the body was removed, detectives continued to search the mounds of dirt with shovels and a hand-held metal detector. Allen’s body was found 12 to 15 feet below the surface, police said. “Workers had dug in that area before,” Bryan said. “They apparently did not dig deep enough the first time. Today, they dug deeper and wider, and that’s when they found him.” After the initial search last Saturday, police used dogs, a helicopter and aerial photographs. Bryan said earlier searches may have failed because it was difficult to locate the site of the original trenches. They were filled Feb. 22, when workers believed Allen had finished sampling. When trenches are filled back in, “you can no longer see the distinct trench,” Bryan said. It was unclear when the engineer was buried, whether he was injured before he was buried, and whether he was trapped when a trench collapsed or was inadvertently buried when workers filled the trenches. After Allen’s family reported him missing last week, police and workers converged on the site and began digging. Julie Ann Allen said the discovery Friday brought some closure. “I didn’t want it to end this way,” she said at the news conference, her voice cracking. Elan Allen is also survived by a 5-month-old son and a 7-year-old daughter. His wife has been a music and choir teacher at Heritage Middle School for nearly 10 years. “Our hearts ache,” said Robin McClure, a spokeswoman for the Grapevine-Colleyville school district. “Right now, people are just stunned.” Before leaving the news conference, Julie Ann Allen thanked her church, the school district and others for their support. A $20,000 reward had been offered for information leading to her husband’s whereabouts. Crisis counselors are available at Heritage Middle School and Colleyville Heritage High School to help students, former students, fellow teachers and parents. The funeral had not been scheduled as of Friday night. Staff writer Jennifer Radcliffe contributed to this report.

Freeport firefighters rescue Brian Myers after he was buried under 12 feet of dirt in trench.

FREEPORT – A man who was buried under 12 feet of dirt when the trench he was working in collapsed was successfully rescued, thanks to the combined efforts of the Freeport Fire Department, Public Works Department and Water and Sewer Commission on Friday afternoon in Freeport. Brian Myers of Cedarville was in the 12-foot trench working on sewer lines along West Spring Street in Freeport when the walls of the trench caved in and he was buried. Myers’ co-workers immediately called for help and Fire Chief Jim Blackbourn said firefighters were on the scene quickly. “When our first crews got there, he was totally buried,” Blackbourn said. “It was a questionable situation at first, because we weren’t sure where he was.” Firefighters successfully located and dug out Myers, who was conscious throughout the ordeal. He was transported to Freeport Memorial Hospital where he remains in stable condition according to a hospital official. Blackbourn said Myers may have sustained chest injuries. Blackbourn said the Fire Department received a lot of help from city Public Works and Water and Sewer officials, who provided essential equipment in getting Myers safely out of the trench. “We were digging for a full hour,” Blackbourn said. “What really helped us was the fact that the Public Works Department and the Water and Sewer Commission took care of the shoring. They stabilized the trenches and the banks to make sure no further collapses took place on the rescue workers.” The victim’s brother, Brent Myers of Freeport, was at the scene and expressed great concern over the situation. “It is a potentially serious situation,” Brent Myers said. “He was 12-feet under and loss of air was a big concern.” Brian Myers runs Myers Digging Service in Freeport, a private contracting company. Travis Morse can be reached a 232-0178 or via e-mail at [email protected]

Crews puncture water main

By Jeff Tucker

South Shore passengers will have to take an alternate route through Michigan City for the next few days since a water main was punctured beneath the railroad’s line at 11th and Tennessee streets Thursday, causing workers to excavate a massive foot hole beneath the tracks. Police said city buses will meet train passengers arriving at either the east or west ends of town, and transport them around the construction site, hooking passengers up with another South Shore train on the opposite end of town. The patchwork rerouting was necessary since the road bed supporting the tracks was heavily excavated, creating a massive 10-by-30 foot hole, allowing workers to access the damaged water main. Officials pledged the 12-inch water main would be repaired by today. At least one basement in the area of 11th and Tennessee streets was flooded, with 10-15 residences cut off from water after the 4:25 p.m. mishap, said Dick Collins, distribution superintendent for the Water Department. But Water Department Superintendent Randy Russell said at 10:30 p.m. only two homes were still without water and a boil advisory was unnecessary. Collins said massive amounts of water were released by the punctured line. He said both of the department’s 1,000,000-gallon tanks at Carroll Avenue and Hitchcock Street were depleted after the rupture, affecting the water supply at about six blocks of homes on Chicago, Green and 11th streets. “We lost about three feet in our tanks, so that’s quite a bit,” Collins said. “Once we get this water pumped, we’ll see what we need to do to fix it. There’s probably only about 10-15 people out of water, not a whole lot.” John Doyle of John A. Doyle & Associates Inc. of Michigan City, which is managing the project for the Sanitary District, said the puncture resulted in “a hell of a lot” of water being released. “We thought we had plenty of clearance of it with our sleeve, but something went wrong,” Doyle said at about 5:30 p.m. Jim Drader, general manager for D&M Excavating Inc. of Michigan City, said the accident occurred when a D&M subcontractor attempted to bore beneath the South Shore Railroad at 11th and Tennessee streets as part of the Ohio/Barker Sanitary Sewer Separation project. The work is part of the city’s ongoing sewer/storm water separation projects, which are intended to reduce the amount of storm water that flows into the city’s sewer system, and therefore reduce the amount of water that must be treated by the Sanitary District. Sanitary District General manager Al Walus said workers Thursday were relocating the water main from the south side of the of the tracks to the north side. L.J. Keefe Co. Tunneling Contractors, Mt. Prospect, Ill., punctured the water main with either an auger blade or one of the 24-inch steel sleeves that hold the actual sewer pipes, causing a massive flood at the intersection, Drader said. The punctured water main stretches along the south side of the tracks beneath 11th Street, just couple a feet from a gas line, which was not punctured. A South Shore train came through at a snail’s pace at 5:35 p.m. as engineers tested the tracks to see if the road bed could support the train. Jeff Lowe, assistant chief operating officer with the railroad, said officials were worried the tracks might collapse. After workers used a backhoe to cut the giant hole in the asphalt, South Shore officials decided trains had to be rerouted around the mishap, since the tracks had little support beneath them once the hole was dug. Vanessa Paul, 1015 Tennessee St., said her home at the intersection of 11th and Tennessee streets was not flooded, and her water pressure started to return to normal by 5:50 p.m. “So far we haven’t had any flooding, but I don’t know what it may be later on because on this corner it usually does flood right here. If this stays like this, it may back up,” Paul said. Paul said the storm water drain near her home, which is downhill from the spot of the water line puncture, is one of the main drains in the area, where water frequently backs up during heavy rains. “I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t start coming up (in the basement),” she said. Paul said work started on the project a couple weeks ago when trees were removed. Excavation work began about a week ago in front of her home, she said. “I rather it be a water line than a NIPSCO gas line,” Paul said. A neighbor of Paul’s to the north at 109 Tennessee St. said her water pressure was fine, with no flooding in her basement. However, south of the tracks, Ladoraw Young said her home at 802 W. 11th St., had 3-4 inches of water in the basement at 6:10 p.m. “I was laying down and there was a loud noise,” Young said. “I went to take a shower because I was going to work, but the water was off. “I had to send my kids out there to tell us how long it was going to be off, and he couldn’t tell me. It’s messed up. I couldn’t go to sleep and they’re making all this loud noise.” Drader said he understood the inconvenience caused by the mishap, adding the best way to address the problem was to fix it immediately. “It’s dinner hour, so I’m sure people are not happy about it,” Drader said. “The response time was great. The South Shore was out here immediately, so we got everyone responding. It’s one of those unfortunate situations. It will be fixed tonight, no doubt.” Drader said workers would use snowplows to move the water into storm drains, and heavily salt the area throughout the night to prevent it from freezing. About 20 workers from the Water Department, Sanitary District, L.J. Keefe Co and the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates the South Shore, were all at the scene. Michigan City police also closed all nearby streets shortly after the accident.

UPDATE, Lack Of Cave-In Protection At Dorchester Jobsite Leads To Fines Against Franklin, Mass. Contractor

BOSTON — Continued failure to supply cave-in protection for its workers has resulted in $62,000 in proposed fines against a Franklin, Mass., contractor. Zenone, Inc. has been cited by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for alleged willful and serious safety violations at a water/sewer line installation site located at Westville and Draper Streets in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. “OSHA’s inspection found two employees working in an excavation up to seven feet deep that was not shored or otherwise protected against a collapse of its sidewalls,” said Brenda Gordon, OSHA area director for Boston and Southeastern Massachusetts. “Had a cave-in occurred, workers in this trench could have been struck and buried beneath tons of soil before they had a chance to react or escape.” This marks the fifth time in three years that Zenone, Inc. has been cited by OSHA for inadequate cave-in protection. The contractor had previously been cited in 1999, 2000 and 2001 following inspections at jobsites in Lynn and New Bedford, Mass. As a result, OSHA has classified this citation as willful, its most severe category of violation, and proposed a fine of $56,000. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations. Zenone, Inc. was also cited for two alleged serious violations, with $6,000 in proposed penalties, for allowing employees to access the trench without a ladder and for operating an excavator within 10 feet of energized power lines. A serious violation is one in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard. The contractor has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to either elect to comply with them, to request and participate in an informal conference with the OSHA area director, or to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Braintree, Mass., area office. The telephone number is (617) 565-6924.