News 12 First at Five / Monday, October 25, 2010

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- O.S.H.A. officials are now investigating the site of a deadly trench collapse in Augusta this past Saturday. Two plumbers were working in a ditch near Allen Homes off Blum Street when water rushed in and caused a wall of dirt to collapse on them.

One man was rescued by firefighters, but the other, Jimmy Robles of Augusta, died. Universal Plumbing is the company responsible for the ditch that collapsed during the plumbing repair. It has not yet released a comment about what happened or if the workers were using safety measures at the time of the collapse. A Universal Plumbing representative told News 12 Monday morning they are preparing a statement.

Richmond County Chief Deputy Coroner Mark Bowen tells News 12 Robles' body was recovered about six feet underground. O.S.H.A. regulations require steel boxes or reinforcements to be used on trenches deeper than five feet.

Derek Stahlman has been working in construction for 15 years and says that's a rule that is never to be broken. "Before you go in there or send someone down, think of sending your child in there. You never put anybody in a position that you wouldn't want to go in."

Mike Walden with the Department of Labor says O.S.H.A. investigates any accident involving three or more injuries or a fatality. "The goal isn't to impose penalties or violations. The goal is to make a safe workplace and make sure employers are doing their jobs by imposing O.S.H.A. standards."

Walden says the investigation could last up to six months. "You think you dig a trench and you just remove the dirt. But if that dirt has some moisture attached to it, then it can start slipping and sliding and refilling that trench area." Stahlman adds that their work is more dangerous than it seems. "It doesn't take a whole lot. A little bit of groundwater, rainstorms- anything affects it."

Richmond County Housing Authority says it contracted Universal Plumbing to do the work off Blum Street. A representative adds they've never had any problems with the company before. It is still unclear whether Universal Plumbing was using a steel box or some type of reinforcements. On Saturday witnesses and the coroner said there were none in sight during the emergency.

Walden says trench accidents do happen more often than you might think. "Unfortunately, trench collapses do happen more often than they should." He says that's exactly why O.S.H.A. sets very specific standards- to prevent those collapses in the first place.

Stahlman says he construction company he works for, John D. Stephens, has steel boxes of all shapes and sizes. "Its a necessity in the business. It keeps the guys safe. Anything over four feet deep, we always use [steel boxes].... It's just good practice. I mean everybody wants to go home. We're all here to make money but at end of day, we all need to go home to our families."