Three Trench Collapses in Two Days Should Get Every Excavation Crew's Attention

Three trenches collapsed in Southeast Michigan within about 48 hours. One worker, 23 years old, died after being trapped while installing underground tanks near Fowlerville. Two more were injured in separate collapses in Orion Township and Oxford Township. Trenching is one of the most predictable ways to lose a worker on a jobsite, and this week is a reminder that predictable does not mean prevented.

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By the Numbers

• 3 trench collapses in Southeast Michigan within roughly 48 hours, from June 30 to July 1, 2026.

• 1 worker fatality, a 23-year-old installing underground tanks in Handy Township, Livingston County.

• 5 feet is the depth at which OSHA requires a protective system under 29 CFR 1926.652.

• 39 to 12 is the drop in national trench collapse fatalities from 2022 to 2024, close to a 70 percent decline.

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What Happened

In Handy Township, workers were installing underground tanks when the trench they were working in collapsed and trapped a 23-year-old worker, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The same day, in Orion Township, a subcontracted excavation company working on a sanitary sewer installation for a new subdivision saw a trench collapse and trap a 25-year-old worker, who suffered lower body injuries and was reported in stable condition. A day earlier, in Oxford Township, a 35-year-old worker was rescued after another trench collapse at a separate site.

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The Standard Isn't Complicated, the Compliance Gap Is

OSHA's excavation standard requires a protective system, sloping, benching, shoring, or shielding, for any trench 5 feet deep or more, unless the trench is cut entirely into stable rock. A competent person needs to inspect the trench daily and after any change in conditions, including rain, vibration from nearby equipment, or changes in the soil itself. None of this is new or complicated. It is also one of the easiest protections to skip when a crew is trying to move fast.

National trench fatality numbers have actually been trending in the right direction, down close to 70 percent from 2022 to 2024. That decline shows the standard works when it gets followed. A cluster like this one in Michigan shows what happens in the gap between having a written program and applying it on-site every single time a crew opens a trench.

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Key Takeaways

• Any trench 5 feet deep or more needs a protective system in place before anyone goes in it, no exceptions for a quick check.

• A competent person needs to inspect the trench daily and after any condition change, not just at the start of the job.

• National trench fatality numbers are trending down, but local clusters like this one show the standard only works where it's actually applied.

• If your crew has any excavation work coming up, this is a good week to walk the protective system plan again before the next dig.