Machine Injury & Accidents

Date	City	State	Employer	Body Part	Event
2021-11-13	Mckinney	Tx	Garney Holding Company	Ankle(s)	Fall through surface or existing opening 11 to 15 feet
A Garney Holding Company employee was helping maneuver an 84-inch pipe being installed in a 14-foot trench excavation. The employee was using PVC tubing to tilt the pipe downward to cross under a utility line; the tubing lost contact with the pipe, causing the employee to slide downward and make contact with the pipe, then the bottom of the trench. The employee's right ankle was broken.
2021-11-01	Rolla	Mo	CABLE ONE INC.	Ankle(s)	Fall, slip, trip
An employee was attempting to move a trencher. He stepped onto the trencher and his right foot slipped and fell onto the auger, resulting in a broken right ankle.
2021-10-29	Clewiston	Fl	Energy Erectors, Inc.	Pelvis	Fall from collapsing structure or equipment 6 to 10 feet
An employee was digging a trench using a mini excavator. The edge of the trench caved in and he slipped and fell about 6 feet. He suffered a broken pelvis and was hospitalized for surgery.
2021-10-26	Gwinner	Nd	Grotberg Electric, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was guiding a boring rod on a vibratory plow trencher to install a conduit when the employee's hooding got caught on the boring rod, resulting in an amputation of the right little finger and potential fractures of the right arm.
2021-10-23	Austin	Tx	D Guerra Construction LLC	Brain	Excavation or trenching cave-in
Two employees were in a sewer line trench when it collapsed. One of them was buried completely and suffered swelling of the brain.
2021-09-27	Daytona Beach Shores	Fl	Valencia Construction Group, Inc.	Shoulder(s), including clavicle(s), scapula(e)	Fall through surface or existing opening less than 6 feet
On September 27, 2021, an employee was using a measuring tape and string to measure the alignment for the storm piping being installed inside a 4-foot trench. Afterwards, the employee stood on a drain manhole with a plywood cover on its opening. The plywood broke and the employee fell about 4 feet into the manhole, resulting in a bruised shoulder that required hospitalization.
2021-09-15	Ozark	Ar	TOKAI CARBON	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Fall onto or against object on same level, n.e.c.
On September 15, 2021, an employee was trying to collect machined dust from the auger area of a machine. While in the small trench containing the auger, the employee slipped. His right hand was caught in the auger and severely injured. All five fingers were medically amputated. The machine was not locked out/tagged out at the time.
2021-09-04	Kermit	Tx	Willow Creek Companies, LLC	Thigh(s)	Fall on same level due to slipping
Employees were installing grounding tools as part of an addition to a compressor station. An employee was hammer-drilling a ground rod when the edge of a trench failed; the employee slipped, fell, and landed on the rod, which impaled his inner thigh.
2021-08-31	Commerce City	Co	Bison Ridge Construction LLC	Fingertip(s)	Struck by object or equipment dropped by injured worker
An employee was hanging a ladder on a ladder rack in a trench box when the ladder slipped from their grip and pinched their finger between the ladder and ladder rack. Their left middle fingertip was amputated without bone loss.
2021-08-27	Houston	Tx	Leon's Electric and Plumbing	Foot(feet) and leg(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee was standing on the side of a trench when he fell into it along with loose soil. The employee suffered a broken leg/foot.
2021-08-23	Warsaw	Ny	STC Construction, Inc.	Lower leg(s)	Excavation or trenching cave-in
Employees were working in a 5-foot-deep trench. While an employee was repositioning pipes, the gravel layer toward the bottom of the trench gushed out of one of the sidewalls of the trench and engulfed his right foot, trapping him. Simultaneously, the force of the rushing soil pushed his lower right leg sideways. He suffered a broken tibia and was hospitalized.
2021-08-06	Fremont	Oh	Willis & Sons Inc	Hand(s)	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
On August 8, 2021, at 1:00 p.m., an employee was struck by the bucket of a backhoe that was digging a pit for a trench box, resulting in a severe hand injury.
2021-07-20	Marion	Tx	Zachry Underground and Utilities Services, Inc.	Nonclassifiable	Other fall to lower level
An employee was assisting with installation of fiber optic conduit pipe when he tripped and fell into a trench.
2021-07-17	Houston	Tx	Main Lane Industries, LLC	Leg(s)	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was working in a trench excavation. A section of the excavation began to collapse, and the employee's leg was struck and broken by the falling soil as he tried to get out. He was hospitalized.
2021-07-07	Lancaster	Tx	Venus Construction, Inc.	Hand(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
The injured employee was in a 7- to 8-foot deep trench installing a large, 66" diameter reinforced concrete pipe. An excavator bucket came loose and fell into the trench, striking the employee on the left side of their body. The employee sustained a large contusion on the upper left leg, a broken left arm, and their left hand was surgically amputated.
2021-07-06	El Paso	Tx	IES Residential, Inc.	Multiple face locations	Fall onto or against object on same level, n.e.c.
An employee was installing a grounding rod next to an electrical panel using an impact tool. He was standing at the edge of a trench which was approximately 2 feet deep. It had rained the previous day so the ground was damp and loose. The tool was placed on top of the grounding rod and it covered approximately 6 inches of the top of the rod. The employee would lift up the tool without exposing the top of the rod and then using a downward force, drive the rod into the ground. One of the times, af
2021-06-28	Westerly	Ri	FERREIRA CONSTRUCTION CO.	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
An employee was hand digging in a trench 4 feet deep. As the employee was about to exit the trench using a ladder, he tripped on a pipe and fell against a spreader bar with a locking pin sticking out. The employee's lower torso impacted the locking pin when he fell, resulting in a severe bruise and contusion.
2021-06-21	Grand Forks	Nd	Master Construction Co., Inc.	Leg(s)	Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area
An employee was working on a project to install a phone line when they were struck by the back side of a cable trenching plow, resulting in crush injuries to their legs and the amputation of their right leg.
2021-06-10	Kyle	Tx	Joe Bland Construction, L.P.	Multiple body parts	Struck, caught, or crushed in other collapsing structure or equipment
Two employees were in an excavation with benching, installing conduit along its entire length. The trench collapsed and the bench wall struck one of the employees. The employee suffered a broken right wrist and rib fractures on both sides, as well as internal injuries. The employee was hospitalized.
2021-06-09	Denton	Ga	Bluesource Solar LLC	Thigh(s)	Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
An employee was preparing to lay cable. While the employee was straddling a trailer, holding the cable roll, the trailer became unstable and flipped, striking and throwing the employee into a 3-foot deep trench. The employee sustained a broken right femur.
2021-05-19	Auburn	Nh	United Rentals, Inc.	Fingertip(s)	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
An employee was assembling a trench shield. Two of the employee's fingertips were caught and amputated between the spreader and the collar.
2021-05-11	Stockdale	Tx	Rodney Wiatrek	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
An employee was on top of a trencher to put a cover on its exhaust manifold when he slipped off the trencher and fell 5.5 feet to the ground, resulting in five broken ribs, a lacerated spleen, and a lacerated liver. It was raining at the time.
2021-05-10	Aurora	Co	Glacier Construction Co., Inc.	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
A Glacier Construction crew was setting a 36-inch steel pipe in a trench and working to line/plumb the pipe. The bracing on the pipe gave way and an employee was trapped between the pipe and the trench wall. The employee sustained a chest contusion and a liver hematoma and was hospitalized.
2021-05-10	Cranberry Township	Pa	Allegheny Excavating Inc.	Pelvis	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
An employee was standing above a trench as a storm water line was being installed. A trench box that was chained to an excavator tipped over while being moved. The trench box struck the employee and pinned them against the ground. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured pelvis.
2021-04-27	Colorado Springs	Co	Nelson Pipeline	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
As an employee was exiting a trench on a ladder, an excavator bucket became detached from its boom, slid down the slope of the trench, and struck the employee. The employee suffered a lacerated liver and damage to the diaphragm.
2021-04-20	Leicester	Ny	Fineline Pipeline Inc.	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
An employee was installing a water main pipe when he became pinched between the excavator bucket and the trench box, resulting in fractured ribs that required hospitalization.
2021-04-16	Augusta	Ga	Tractor and Equipment Company	Multiple body parts	Engulfment in other collapsing material
An employee from Tractor and Equipment Company was standing on the side of a sewer pipe trench at a customer worksite. The ground caved in. The employee fell head-first into the trench and was buried up to his feet. The employee was suffocated by the soil and lost consciousness. The employee was hospitalized for a concussion and fractures.
2021-04-07	Pottstown	Pa	Pottstown Division	Leg(s)	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was working in a trench making a pipe connection when the trench collapsed on the employee. The employee's leg was crushed.
2021-03-08	Lake Charles	La	McManus Construction, LLC	Multiple trunk locations	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was installing drainage culverts in a trench bank. The trench bank caved in on the employee, who suffered injuries to the lungs, spleen, and liver. The employee was hospitalized.
2021-03-03	New Braunfels	Tx	RTM CONSTRUCTION CO. LTD.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Injured by handheld object or equipment
Two employees were shoveling gravel in a trench when a shovel slipped from the gravel and contacted an employee's left pinky finger, resulting in amputation.
2021-03-01	Oklahoma City	Ok	Dobson Technologies/Dobson Fiber	Brain	Struck against stationary object or equipment while rising
An employee was working in a shallow trench preparing to install fiberoptic cable. When he stood up, he hit his head on the bucket of a trackhoe and had a seizure.
2021-02-02	Weston	Fl	Ram-Tech Construction Inc.	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was examining a conduit pipe in a 4-foot trench when he lost his balance and fell into the trench. The employee was then struck by soil when the wall of the trench collapsed, resulting in an injured spleen.
2021-02-01	Denver	Co	FIORE & SONS, INC	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was assisting with assembling a trench box. A forklift was used to carry a 150-lb. steel spreader tube which was to be placed between the trench box sheets. The forklift tipped forward, causing the spreader tube to roll off the forks. The tube struck the ground and pivoted in a "baseball bat swing" movement, striking the employee on the left side of his torso below the armpit and also on the outside of his lower left leg. The employee sustained a broken rib, internal bleeding, bruisi
2021-01-28	Chillicothe	Oh	Massana Construction Company Inc	Abdomen, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was standing at the end of the trench box laying waterline when dirt engulfed the employee up to his hip. The employee was hospitalized with stomach pain.
2020-10-16	Salisbury Beach	Ma	H.A. Richard &Son, Inc	Pelvis	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was standing in a trench at a depth of 3 feet when the side of the trench collapsed. The employee sustained a fractured pelvis.
2020-10-15	Olustee	Fl	BLUE ROK, INCORPORATED	Brain	Fall, slip, trip
An employee fell while working in a trench, striking his head on a pipe. He suffered head injuries and was hospitalized.
2020-09-18	Dfw Airport	Tx	Flatiron Construction Inc.	Heart	Overexertion involving outside sources
An employee returned from his lunch break and was performing labor which included removing dirt clods from a small trench. The employee was sweating and pale, and stated that his chest was hurting. The employee was hospitalized for a heart attack.
2020-09-08	Bridgeport	Wv	Wolfes Excavating LLC	Hip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was in a trench that was approximately five feet deep, installing grout and bricks around a pipe that lead into a concrete drainage structure. The employee was between the concrete structure and a steel cave-in protection shield. An excavator was operating close to the trench and caused the steel shield to move, which pinned the employee's hip against the concrete structure. The employee sustained a fractured right hip.
2020-09-06	Birmingham	Al	Ventura Foods, LLC	Nonclassifiable	Fall through surface or existing opening less than 6 feet
An employee was cleaning the exterior of a tank. While moving around the tank, the employee slipped into an uncovered trench drain 15 inches deep. The drain was clogged and full of margarine and hot water. The employee fell in a seated position with her feet in the drain. The employee was hospitalized for burns.
2020-09-02	Clay Center	Ne	Eriksen Construction Co., Inc.	Multiple body parts	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was working in trench when one side of the trench caved in, pinning the employee under the soil. The employee sustained a broken wrist, dislocated jaw, fractured collarbone, and broken ribs.
2020-08-20	Colorado Springs	Co	BRADLEY EXCAVATING	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was inserting the pin of the hydraulic cylinder into the trench box hole when her right middle finger got caught in between the pin of the hydraulic cylinder and the trench box hole and was amputated.
2020-08-18	Livonia	Ny	Blue Heron Construction	Leg(s)	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was working on a sewer line in a trench, replacing water line saddles when soil materials broke loose from the trench wall and fell on the employee's leg, fracturing it.
2020-08-10	Macon	Ga	Aerotek	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee began experiencing leg cramps while working in a trench. The cramps worsened and the employee was hospitalized, suffering from heat stress/dehydration.
2020-08-05	Florissant	Co	Native Sun Materials, Inc.	Nonclassifiable	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was replacing a water line in a 7-foot deep trench. The trench caved-in and the employee was caught in the dislodged soil. The employee sustained bruises.
2020-08-05	York	Pa	KINSLEY CONSTRUCTION	Fingertip(s)	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
An employee was climbing out of a trench when the bucket of a trackhoe struck the employee's hand, crushing it between the edge of the bucket and the surface of a road. The employee suffered a partial fingertip amputation of the left ring finger.
2020-08-01	Gail	Tx	Lauren Engineering and Constructors	Shoulder(s), including clavicle(s), scapula(e)	Struck by other falling powered vehicle
An employee was assisting an ATV and a forklift in pulling wire. The ATV slid into a 3-foot trench where the employee was standing, trapping them between the ATV and the ground. The employee sustained a dislocated right shoulder and a damaged L1 vertebrae.
2020-07-10	Saint Charles	Missouri	BUDROVICH	Back, including spine, spinal cord	Struck or run over by rolling powered vehicle
Substrate beneath a track hoe gave way and the machine lunged forward. The bucket struck an employee who was standing in the trench box. The employee was hospitalized for a contusion on their back.
2020-06-29	Nelsonville	Ohio	Stonegate Construction, Inc.	Multiple body parts	Indirect exposure to electricity, greater than 220 volts
The injured employee was assisting in the backfilling of a trench after sewer line and water line repair. A co-worker was directing a waiting vehicle while the injured employee was directing the operator of an excavator that was moving out of the road. The excavator made contact with an overhead electrical line and the injured employee touched the handle on the excavator resulting in a 7400-volt electric shock. The employee was hospitalized for burns to the hand, back and feet.
2020-06-26	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	Telco Supply Company	Multiple trunk locations	Excavation or trenching cave-in
As an employee was working in a shallow trench, the ground beneath an excavator collapsed, causing the excavator to fall into the trench and strike the employee. The employee was temporarily pinned between the excavator and a communication box installed in the trench, suffering broken ribs and back vertebrae.
2020-05-19	Orlando	Florida	Florida Catastrophe Corp	Lower leg(s)	Other fall to lower level
An employee picked up a hose and walked backward into a trench where the metal grate covers had been removed for water extraction. He fell into the trench, injuring his lower left leg and requiring surgery.
2020-05-12	Palmerton	Pennsylvania	PPL Electric Utilities	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
Two employees were replacing a cover on a compact trench system. While they were dropping the cover in, one employee's left middle and ring fingers were pinched. Both fingers were broken, and the middle fingertip was amputated. The employee underwent surgery.
2020-05-01	Dallas	Texas	Venus Construction, Inc.	Multiple head locations	Fall on same level, n.e.c.
An employee was in a trench box (near the ladder, about 5 feet inside the box) when a large boulder of dirt fell immediately outside the box. Some of the dirt rolled into the end opening of the box, striking the employee on his heel as he tried to get away and knocking him down to the ground. As he fell, his head struck a T-valve, resulting in contusions to his head and face area. He was hospitalized.
2020-04-29	Frisco	Texas	Wadsworth Golf Construction Company of the Midwest	Multiple pelvic region locations	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was installing a drainage pipe in a trench when the dirt trench walls collapsed on the employee, who suffered a broken pelvis and hip.
2020-04-29	Parker	Colorado	Hudick Excavating, Inc.	Leg(s)	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was laying pipe in a trench when a chunk of dirt/mud rolled into the trench box and onto the employee, who suffered a broken leg.
2020-04-27	Lancaster	Texas	Rumsey Construction, LLC	Pelvis	Struck by object or equipment
An employee was working in a steel trench box (about approximately 10-12 feet deep), spreading rock at the bottom of the trench and waterline pipe. A pipe struck the employee as the employee was working in the trench and fractured the employee's pelvis.
2020-04-24	Leander	Texas	H.L. Chapman Pipeline Construction, Inc.	Upper and lower limb(s)	Other jump to lower level
An employee was operating a trench machine when he took the cap off a radiator and was sprayed by hot anti-freeze. He received burns to the left thigh and left arm and fractured his ankle when he jumped off the machine.
2020-04-16	Stanton	Texas	Forza Pipeline Services	Lower leg(s)	Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
An employee was installing a pipeline in a trench. The employee coiled tubing on a spool and was attempting to tie in two pipe ends when the pipe slipped and flexed, striking and fracturing the employee's fibula.
2020-04-15	Saint Augustine	Florida	Northrop Grumman Corporation	Fingertip(s)	Struck by object or equipment dropped by injured worker
On April 15, 2020, an aircraft electrician was retrieving a tool that fell through the grated cover of a two-foot utility trench. While lifting the grated trench cover, he lost his grip. The trench cover fell and his middle finger was caught between the cover and the floor. He sustained an amputation without bone loss to his right middle fingertip.
2020-02-15	Fort Worth	Texas	S.Y.B. Construction Co. Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was laying pipe when two of his fingers were pinched between two trench boxes. He suffered an amputation.
2020-01-22	Zephyrhills	Florida	Duke Energy	Lower leg(s)	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was splicing an electric cable in a trench that was 4 to 5 feet deep, 14 feet long, and 4 to 5 feet wide when the side wall caved in and contacted his right leg, breaking his tibia and fibula. He was hospitalized and had surgery.
2020-01-21	Bel Aire	Kansas	MCCULLOUGH EXCAVATION, INC	Pelvis	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
A crew was exposing a new water line looking for a leak. A trench was excavated near the pipe with a compact excavator, and an employee was exposing the pipe with a shovel. A piece of dirt from the top of the trench fell on the back of his legs and he suffered a pelvic fracture. The trench was approximately 4.5 feet deep.
2020-01-21	Cumming	Georgia	Inspector Drain, Inc.	Multiple trunk locations	Fall from collapsing structure or equipment
An employee was standing outside a trench when the side wall gave way. He fell into the trench and ended up on his knees with dirt up to his waist. He suffered hip and rib injuries and was hospitalized.
2020-01-13	Hartford	Connecticut	Manafort Brothers Incorporated	Leg(s)	Struck by dislodged flying object, particle
On January 13, 2020, the injured employee made a 3/4 cut into a 7-inch abandoned water pipe. An excavator operator extended the excavator bucket to push down onto the pipe and finish breaking it off. After the pipe broke loose, the excavator operator hooked the cut end of the pipe with one of the bucket's teeth and started to slide the pipe away from underneath the trench box. The pipe popped off the bucket's tooth and struck the injured employee in the leg.
2020-01-08	Westbrook	Texas	WHC Energy Services	Brain	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
An employee was struck in the head by a boom from a buggy during trenching operations for pipeline construction.
2019-09-19	Watertown	Wisconsin	Spuncast, Inc.	Multiple body parts	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was pouring molten steel into a mold. Some of the steel passed through a trench cover's lifting holes and came into contact with water. This created superheated steam, which caused the molten steel to spray back through the holes onto the employee. The employee suffered second-degree burns on 18 percent of the body: arms, upper front torso, face, and mouth.
2019-09-06	Pottstown	Pennsylvania	Henkels and McCoy	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker
An employee was using a digging bar to break rock that was preventing a trench box from fitting into an excavation. The tool caused a compound fracture to the employee's ring finger.
2019-09-05	El Paso	Texas	Hawk Construction	Back, including spine, spinal cord	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee's safety vest became entangled with a trenching machine's blade, and the blade lacerated the employee's back.
2019-08-20	Danbury	Connecticut	E-J Electric T & D LLC	Wrist(s)	Struck against stationary object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was hand digging a shallow trench for an electrical conduit installation. While digging the trench, the employee encountered tree roots. To remove the tree roots, he cut partially through the roots with his personal utility knife. After cutting the majority of the exposed roots, he placed the utility knife outside the trench. He then attempted to pull the remaining roots and the sudden release of the roots caused his arm to rotate backwards, allowing his left wrist to contact the ut
2019-08-14	Colorado Springs	Colorado	Dwire Earthmoving, LLC	Hip(s) and leg(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was tearing down a trench box (which was on the ground, not in use). When the last pin holding two panels together was pulled out, one of the panels struck the employee and injured his leg/hip.
2019-08-12	Madison	Alabama	Eutaw Construction Company, Inc.	BODY SYSTEMS	Exposure to environmental heat
An employee was laying pipe in a trench under hot conditions. The employee began to look ill and lost consciousness. He was hospitalized for heat-related illness.
2019-08-07	The Colony	Texas	Vilhauer Enterprises LLC	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
An employee's finger was mashed between a trench box spreader and the shackle of an excavator, resulting in a fracture and laceration to the left ring finger.
2019-08-05	Helena	Montana	ROCKY MOUNTAIN CONTRACTORS, INC.	Pelvis	Other fall to lower level less than 6 feet
While entering a 3-foot trench, an employee fell onto the handle of a shovel. The employee was impaled by the handle, and sustained injuries which included a perforated intestine and a broken rib.
2019-07-24	Grove City	Ohio	Nuway Incorporated	Lower leg(s)	Struck by swinging or slipping object, other than handheld, n.e.c.
An employee was sitting in the cab of an excavator as employees were taking a trench box apart. A pin was pulled and the trench box's connecting bar went into the cab of the excavator, striking the employee's left leg and fracturing it below the knee. The employee was hospitalized and required surgery.
2019-07-22	Miramar	Florida	REYNOLDS CONSTRUCTION OF FLORIDA, LLC	Multiple trunk locations	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was pinned between the spreader bar of a trench box and an excavator bucket during a sewer main installation. The employee sustained lower lumbar and thoracic compression fractures, a bruised liver, and dislocated ribs.
2019-07-19	Columbus	Ohio	Wilsons Enterprises	Thigh(s)	Nonroadway collision with object other than vehicle, n.e.c.
An employee was running a trencher in a yard. The trencher hit a 10-foot rod that had been covered with dirt, and the rod flipped into the employee's back thigh and caused a puncture wound above the knee. The employee was hospitalized.
2019-07-15	Elizabeth	Colorado	Romero's Transportation, Inc.	Ear(s)	Struck, caught, or crushed in other collapsing structure or equipment
An employee was in a trench cleaning soil off of the water line in preparation for a connection. The trench collapsed along with the soil pile that was approximately one foot from the edge of the trench. The employee was completely covered with soil and was hospitalized for a broken jaw and lacerations to the ear and right arm.
2019-07-01	Cincinnati	Ohio	Smith & Brown Contractors, Inc.	Brain	Fall onto or against object on same level, n.e.c.
An employee working inside a trench box located in a 9' deep excavation slipped and fell, hitting his head on the trench box spreader bar and suffering a head injury.
2019-06-21	Palmyra	Missouri	PORT INDUSTRIES	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Fall through surface or existing opening
An employee was checking/inspecting the hose to a trencher that was parked over a pit when he fell into the floor of the pit, suffering broken ribs.
2019-06-20	Saint Petersburg	Florida	Calello Plumbing LLC	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Multiple types of overexertion involving outside sources
An employee was digging a trench for a new water service line when they became short of breath and had chest pain. The employee was hospitalized with a collapsed lung.
2019-06-18	Chickasha	Oklahoma	Global Pipeline, LLC	Upper and lower limb(s)	Ignition of vapors, gases, or liquids
An employee was operating a trenching machine when it struck an old, unmarked natural gas pipeline. The machine caught fire before the operator could turn it off; he suffered burns to his right hand as he left the cab, as well as a broken right knee and left wrist as he jumped to the ground. He was hospitalized.
2019-06-12	Longview	Texas	Wicker Construction Inc	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Struck by object falling from vehicle or machinery-other than vehicle part
An employee was inside a trench putting lube on a laid pipe when an iron pipe came loose from a backhoe and struck him, injuring his left side and left lung.
2019-05-10	Rapid City	South Dakota	Lind Exco, Inc	Fingertip(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was assisting in the removal of a trench box from an excavation. The employee noted that a rigging hook was stuck on a corner of the trench box and went to unlatch it. At the same time, the excavator operator lifted the rigging and the employee's middle finger was caught between the rigging and the trench box resulting in a fingertip amputation.
2019-05-01	Middletown	Iowa	Valley Construction Company	Multiple body parts	Struck by falling part of powered vehicle still attached
On May 3, 2019, an employee was placing pipe in a trench and was working in the vicinity of an excavator. A hydraulic line on the excavator ruptured causing the bucket to swing down and strike the employee. The employee sustained a fractured right arm and kidney damage.
2019-04-30	Castroville	Texas	Central Backhoe and Utilities	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Struck by swinging part of powered vehicle
An employee was in the trench putting a gasket on the previous pipe joint when an excavator started lifting the cut joint. The pipe swung like a pendulum as it was lifted and smashed the employee's left-hand fingers between the swinging pipe and the existing pipe. Two fingers were surgically amputated to the first knuckle.
2019-04-08	Stromsburg	Nebraska	Gary's Plumbing LLC	Nonclassifiable	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was in a trench for a sewer line. Part of the trench wall collapsed, knocking the employee to his knees and burying him. He suffered bruises and was hospitalized.
2019-03-26	Littlefield	Texas	Probst Group	Pelvis	Excavation or trenching cave-in
A Probst Group employee was inspecting a leaking line inside a 5-foot trench when the east wall of the trench caved in on him. His legs were compressed and he sustained a fracture to his pelvis, requiring hospitalization.
2019-03-21	Webster Groves	Missouri	L. KEELEY CONSTRUCTION	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
An employee was hooking up a chain from the bucket of a backhoe to a trench box. The trench box was moved, and the employee's right ring finger was amputated.
2019-03-19	Mobile	Alabama	H.O. Weaver & Sons, Inc.	Leg(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was in a trench installing a storm drain. A dirt clod fell from the unprotected side of the trench and struck the employee, causing him to fall to the ground and break his left leg.
2019-03-14	Savannah	Georgia	Qualawash Holdings, LLC	Multiple body parts	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee was waiting for water to come through the trench drain and then across to him in the wastewater treatment area. Since the water was not coming through the wastewater treatment area, the employee determined the transfer line must be clogged, so he added steam to try to clear the line. The hose popped out of the discharge line in the pit and sprayed the employee with hot steam. He suffered burns to the wrists and abdomen.
2019-03-13	Huntsville	Texas	Condie Construction Company Inc.	Leg(s)	Other jump to lower level
An employee was walking along the slope of a trench and jumped towards a ladder causing fractures on right leg.
2019-03-06	Salem	West Virgini	J-Wood Contracting LLC	Ankle(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
On March 6, 2019, an employee was working in a trench when a 20-inch-thick gas pipe slid off a skid and fell into the trench. It struck the employee, injuring the employee's ankle. The employee was hospitalized.
2019-02-18	Reno	Texas	JB&L Utility Contractors	Chest, except internal location of diseases or disorders	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee entered a trench (about 7 feet deep and 7 to 8 feet wide) to install a fitting on a sewer main at the bottom. The trench's one vertical wall collapsed onto the employee, who suffered four broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a broken shoulder blade.
2019-02-15	Milton	Delaware	Milford Housing Development Corporation	Leg(s)	Struck by falling object or equipment, n.e.c.
An employee was installing a sewer pipe in a trench. He was changing the bucket to a smaller bucket using the quick connect attachment on an excavator when the bucket fell on the employee, breaking his leg. He was hospitalized.
2019-02-08	Springdale	Arkansas	Great Southwestern Construction, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Compressed or pinched by shifting objects or equipment
The injured employee was assisting coworkers to set a fiberglass wall inside a trench. The injured employee had his hand on the wall when the wall shifted and pinched his finger between it and another section of already placed wall. His right middle finger was amputated behind the nail at the first knuckle.
2019-01-30	Lake Buena Vista	Florida	Brightview Landscape Development, Inc.	Leg(s)	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was working in a trench (3' 10" deep by 6' wide) when the walls of the trench collapsed onto the employee's right leg, breaking it.
2019-01-02	Flowery Branch	Georgia	MDS Plumbing Company, Inc.	Finger(s), fingernail(s)	Contact with objects and equipment
An employee suffered the partial amputation of his middle finger during the installation of a 6-inch diameter water line inside a trench.
2018-09-20	Denver	Colorado	Sewer Solutions LLC	Multiple body parts	Excavation or trenching cave-in
An employee was fixing a tap on a sewer line. The trench collapsed, inuring the employee's shoulder, ribs, and back. The employee was hospitalized.
2018-08-31	Vail	Colorado	KED Development, Inc.	Head and trunk	Excavation or trenching cave-in
At 4:00 p.m. on August 31, 2018, an employee was installing water lines in a trench when it collapsed, partially burying the employee. The employee suffered a broken pelvis, broken ribs, head trauma, and broken facial bones. Cave-in protection was not installed in the trench.
2018-08-25	Valdosta	Georgia	ARCHER DANIELS MIDLAND COMPANY	Foot(feet) and leg(s)	Contact with hot objects or substances
An employee stepped into an open trench filled with hot water, suffering third degree burns on his legs/feet. The trench did not have a protective grating at the time of the incident.
2018-08-24	Lake Park	Georgia	Corbett Electrical Construction, Inc.	Lower leg(s)	Caught in running equipment or machinery during regular operation
An employee was walking beside a stand-behind trencher as it dug a trench. The cutting chain pulled in one of his shoelaces and severely lacerated his lower left leg. The chain was guarded at the time of the incident.