Recent Trench Collapse Incident Has Raised Safety Concerns In California

“Safety first, because lives depend on it”

This phrase becomes super essential to believe by heart when you are working, especially on a construction site with heavy construction equipment.

Construction site mishaps are very common and can even cause fatalities. In the construction industry, trench collapses continue to be a deadly and frequent hazard, particularly in projects requiring pipeline installations and subterranean utilities. 

In a recent event in South Carolina, Michigan, and California, a trench collapse accident shocked everyone. The concerns for trench safety have been raised, and questions are being raised on the contractors.

Contractors must take the required safety measures to avoid such disasters because not doing so can result in severe fines and legal impacts in addition to endangering personnel.

What penalties are being imposed on California contractors?

On August 1, a trench more than nine feet deep collapsed during a residential sewer project in San Mateo, California, almost killing a worker. 

Luckily, the man survived the adventure and was recovered an hour later. However, Smelly Mel’s Plumbing and Sewer Rat Plumbing, the negligent businesses, were promptly taken to job by California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

A total of $530,000 in fines was imposed on both contractors for eight safety infractions. 

The infractions included failing to do inspections, not having a safe way out of the trench, not having adequate foot protection, and not having cave-in protection. 

Two of these infractions were classified by OSHA as “willful,” indicating that the companies knew the hazards already yet did nothing to address them. 

How did a pipefitter from Michigan die in a trench collapse?

On February 12, a 34-year-old senior foreman pipefitter in Sanilac County, Michigan, tragically passed away while working on a sewage installation project at Jellystone Campground. 

Rescue workers had to struggle for over eight hours to remove his body when the eight-foot-deep tunnel he was digging in collapsed and the surrounding earth became unstable.

This terrible event shows how important trench safety is, particularly when working deeper than five feet. 

Without the right trench boxes, shoring, or shielding, workers run a very high chance of dying in a matter of seconds.

This must not be taken fore-granted while working in trenches, especially if the heavy construction equipment is parked alongside. You must make sure everything is in the right place and at the right distance.

A worker died in South Carolina while working on water line project in trench

Another worker was died in a trench collapse in Newberry County, South Carolina, just a few days after the Michigan event. 

Anthony Marquet Hollowman, 53, was trapped beneath the weight of the collapsing earth on February 17 when the six-foot-deep trench collapsed while he was installing a water line. 

Despite his colleagues’ best efforts, they were unable to save him. Tragically, Hollowman did not make it out alive despite the efforts of emergency response personnel with specialist trench rescue training. 

The necessity for contractors to make sure trench walls are rightly strengthened and that workers are trained to identify potential hazards before entering an excavation site is further highlighted by this accident.

Why should trench safety be considered a priority?

These incidents serve as heartbreaking reminders of how quickly and unexpectedly trench collapses can occur. 

It is almost impossible for a trapped worker to escape without help because soil can weigh up to 3,000 pounds per cubic yard, according to safety experts.

Contractors must put in place necessary safety precautions to avoid such mishaps.

Sum up

Safety must be the top priority for the construction sector, especially when it comes to excavation operations. The devastating losses in South Carolina and Michigan, as well as the recent fines in California, ought to serve as a reminder to contractors to maintain the highest safety standards. 

Contractor companies can protect their employees and prevent catastrophic outcomes by following appropriate and safe trenching practices. Being safe is a moral obligation as well as a legal necessity.

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