In just two days in Michigan, three trench collapses occurred on separate construction sites in the Detroit metro area — two of them in the same county and the other in a neighboring area.
A worker died in one of the cave-ins, and two workers were injured in the others.
Here’s a timeline of the three trench collapses between June 30 and July 1:
June 30 — A 35-year-old man was listed in stable condition after being rescued from a trench collapse at a construction site in Oxford Township, according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
Workers were installing field tile for a septic system when the man entered the trench to glue pipe together, the Sheriff’s Office reports. A trench wall collapsed, burying him beneath the soil.
Deputies and firefighters arrived at 9:25 a.m. and extricated the worker. He was transported to McLaren Oakland Hospital, where he was in stable condition undergoing further evaluation.
July 1 — A 25-year-old man was listed in stable condition after being injured in a trench collapse at a new subdivision under construction in Orion Township.
A subcontractor was excavating for a sewer installation while a worker was inside a trench box. The ground surrounding the trench box gave way and trapped him below the waist.
Powered byCoworkers and first responders freed the man at about 9:40 a.m. He suffered injuries to both lower extremities and was transported to McLaren Oakland Hospital.
July 1 — That afternoon, a 30-year-old man died in a trench collapse in Handy Township in nearby Livingston County.
Workers were installing underground tanks when he became trapped and buried. He was pulled from the trench but was pronounced dead at the scene, according to news reports.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the three incidents.
