A ditch that collapsed, trapping and injuring a construction worker in Commerce City on Sept. 18, didn’t have shoring in place that could have prevented the accident, a possible violation of federal safety regulations.
The man was buried up to his waist when the ditch collapsed in the 7200 block of Ivy Street about 11:15 a.m. It took rescue workers more than two hours to free him.
The man hasn’t been identified.
The victim, who was taken to Denver Health medical center, was still in the hospital Friday, said Herb Gibson, area director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration office in Denver.
He worked for Denver plumbing company Cheaper Rooter, Gibson said.
The company couldn’t be reached for comment.
The ditch was 9 feet deep, Gibson said.
“They were doing work on a sewer line in Commerce City when the wall collapsed.”
OSHA regulations call for a ditch that deep to have shoring in place, or have sloping walls, or some other protective shield in place, under most circumstances, Gibson said.
If OSHA determines a violation is serious and the company didn’t comply with safety regulations it could face a maximum fine of $12,471.
The OSHA website warns: “Trench collapses cause dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries each year” and suggests that workers “never enter an unprotected ditch.”
Gibson said the agency hopes to complete the investigation within a month.
During the rescue, the worker was conscious, and spoke to the members of the South Adams County Fire Department and North Area Tech Rescue as they worked to remove him.