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US water pipe strike floods excavation drowning two workers
This chilling account of a double fatality in California contains lessons for those working in excavations and/or near underground services. The workmen were ‘forced’ into a newly laid 30″ diameter pipe after an excavator struck a water main causing flooding and thereby trapping and drowning both men. The pipe was at the base of a trench and the workmen were there to remove wooden support struts as each new pipe section was set. The only warning was a loud pop before thousands of gallons of water gushed into the trench.
Comment: This tragic report is essential reading for anyone who doubts the importance of meticulous care when identifying the presence and location of existing underground services on construction projects.