Trench collapse fatalities have more than doubled in last year
The death of a worker in a trench collapse in Ohio in June was, unfortunately, far from an isolated incident. The 33-year-old was one of 23 workers killed in 2016 – an alarming increase in trench-related fatalities since 2015. Twelve other workers were injured in trench cave-ins.
"Trench deaths have more than doubled nationwide since last year - an alarming and unacceptable trend that must be halted," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "There is no excuse. These fatalities are completely preventable by complying with OSHA standards that every construction contractor should know."