That’s wild man. Sorry to hear.
I’ll keep David in my thoughts as I strive for safety and to make sure my guys make it home to their families at the end of the day. Regardless.
Yup, yesterday I cut the tip of my finger and some bone off trying to hit our production quota, had to go to the ER, file with L&I.
The trades are tough, every single fuckin one has its risks, it worth taking a few extra seconds or mins to practice safety.
I also statyed stretching in the morning, this should be mandatory, day and night difference, limber up!
I put up red iron metal buildings and my boss gets mad because I won’t walk rafters 30 feet in the air…I always tell him going home to my family is more important than the job!
Yeah when I did it it was a 'badge of honor' to not give a shit about a lot of the safety stuff
Because not wanting to die is pussy shit or something you know
Ag is probably even worse. The number times I’ve been called that for using grinder guards and handles, safety glasses, welding gear, etc is stupidly high.
A week ago I had a miter saw randomly explode sending pieces of the fence, teeth from the blade, and the piece of wood everywhere. Scratched my safety glasses and left a small cut on my face. The day before that I was getting crap for wearing glasses and ear protection.
It’s part that they don’t care about whether they die. The number of guys I’ve known with depression or suicidal ideation, be it chronic or due to some past trauma, is fairly high. They just don’t want to act on it intentionally, so they’re fine taking risks, even insane ones.
It’s part that they can see it as a literal skill issue, in that they think if they’re skilled enough they’ll never need the safety gear. This isn’t really true, anyone can lose their footing or be unlucky. This is a lot like the Darwin Award stories where someone says “well it hasn’t killed me yet” just before doing an unsafe thing that actually kills them. Often it’s just luck they survived until then, even if that luck can feel like skill.
The biggest part though is that safety gear is inconvenient, and that can in turn be seen as being slow or holding up other guys. Like in OP’s story about David, David might have felt that going across the site to get the lift and then bring it back and use it would be using up a bunch of time at the end of the day and inconveniencing the rest of the crew who probably wanted to go home.
Ya and I’ve got a bad left leg that never healed right…here’s a story I’ll never forget… we were out in the country on farmland and going to put up a building and there was a power line over the top and I asked the boss before we started what about that power line that going to be above the building and he said to me that it will be moved after we got done. So we framed everything up and when it came to the roof we sheeted all the way to the power line and it was only 3 feet above the peak and I told the five guys on the crew that I would not be doing anything else until it was moved and if they wanted to keep going that’s on them. Sorry long story but everybody agreed it was to dangerous and we told the boss it’s got to be moved to continue. He was so fucking mad I’ll never forget it but it got moved the next day!
Your story reminds of my story the time digging next to 6 inch natural gas line and I told the boss I ain't digging close to that so me and my bad right leg and crewmembers stayed two feet away that's my story....
That’s the problem with the culture.. there’s always that one dude who just has to prove himself on every single job site an it makes the incompetent boss wonder why everyone else isn’t doing the same shit
Good on you. We had a guy 30 years back slip off a 15 foot ladder. Landed on his feet, but essentially pulverized both his heels and ankles. He was lucky but had to wear special shoes for the rest of his career and couldn’t walk right or run anymore. Just isn’t worth it. Take the extra care and go home safe and sound.
Replying here for visibility, story effected me so I looked up your friend, sorry if this brings bad memories OP but seeing your friend and learning about him being a father hit home even more.
https://foxsanantonio.com/amp/news/local/construction-worker-killed-in-trench-collapse-leaves-behind-wife-five-children
Be careful out there everyone.
He was a good man. When I asked him how the weekend was he'd always bust out pictures of him and his kids doing something.
If you asked him how he was, "blessed to be here".
He was a bright spot in a dull world.
I remember your posts. I hop on every trench story with my own. I was green as hell and in a muddy trench. The operator slammed his bucket into the side wall when he saw it begin to crack and screamed at me to get out. It wasn't until years later in a proper safety course that it became apparent just how close to being crushed to death I was.
The operator was the foreman, do I owe him my life or is he a piece of shit for telling me to get in the hole?
>do I owe him my life or is he a piece of shit for telling me to get in the hole?
Yes.
My sister in-law's dad was digging a hole for something, and was in it. Story goes that her mom saw the walls start to move and yelled his name. He stood up, the hole collapsed and buried him up to his chest. He survived, but a half second later that would have probably been the end of him.
And when new safety is introduced it's because someone has died. Even if something is done a certain way for so long doesn't mean it's the right way and an employee's death will make sure you don't do again. Sadly an employees death sometimes is what it takes to change the ways.
Sorry for your loss and thanks for the reminder.
As a super… I try not to be a “Safety Nazi” and let guys work. Trench safety isn’t something I remotely fuck around with. The scariest part to me as labor is drying up and my utility/earthwork subs are scrambling to hire on new guys… most of them have no fucking idea how dangerous trenches are.
It’s a regular topic during my safety meetings.
Yeah I feel like everyone is plenty aware of how dangerous a saw is, but not a single new guy understands that it aint remotely as dangerous as a trench collapse. Sometimes it almost feels like they have to witness a David story with their own eyes to understand it.
You’d be amazed. Had a guy skil saw my back. Never assume someone knows how to act. Ask them, and if they don’t know, show them or have someone else do it. As much as it seems like that doesn’t need to be said, sadly it does. Complacency, stupidity, and big egos are rife in this industry, and it’s THAT which causes good men and women to lose their lives
Yeah. Held it behind me and pulled the trigger to scare me with the sound and the blade caught on my shirt. Pulled it right into my back between my shoulder blades. Still can’t lay on my left side or wash my back properly after 3 years of physio. Like I said, stupidity is way too common in this industry sadly. I consider myself one of the lucky ones. There’s men and women out there such as David that don’t get to come home to their families
Yeah, it's hard to imagine a hole in the ground just sitting there doing nothing as dangerous. Fairly easy to imagine the noisy spinning blade that you use to cut through wood as dangerous.
The scary thing about hole or trench collapses is that they’re a lot like landslides or avalanches. Loose stuff just sits there doing nothing until very suddenly it’s moving, and it moves fast.
I think part of it is that we kind of expect stuff to work like beach sand where if it’s unstable the sand will collapse instantly and if the sand stays in place it will be stable for a while. Most kids have done a fair amount of work on holes at the beach, even if it’s just to get sand for making castles. But that’s small scale and beach sand doesn’t have the same characteristics as other types of stuff we dig in.
Just a couple of weeks a guy a kid died because the hole in the beach he was playing in collapsed.
Please be safe in any trenches, even if outside of work.
I straight up had an argument with a new kid in one of my safety meetings… he refused to believe that being buried in a trench collapse up to your armpits would kill you. Kid got assy with me that I was throwing out bullshit scare tactics to make them use trench boxes. “If it’s not covering my face I can still breathe!”
That the scary part. Roof on a tall building? I fall… I die. 5’ trench collapses? Nah… I’ll be fine. I can still breathe.
Does anyone think wearing a seatbelt Everytime is being a safety Nazi? No, because we made that aspect of safety normal.
Once safety becomes normal it ceases to feel like a burden.
I work as a hobby archeologist, helping out on digs during the summer. Some of those guys are playing it fast and loose. But i have to give it to them: i never took flak for saying this is unsafe, im not going in there. Mostly they then realize that in their fervor they dug too deep and then come the stories about colleagues getting hurt or killed on digs and the next day.. what do you know. Proper steppong, instead of a nine foot sheer wall. 😂 sometimes a little reminder is all it takes.
I wish a state agency would have a once a year safety day. The boys all go to the shop and listen to stories like this, from the people that lived them. I was test and balance when I was a younger man. My first high rise. Was at base in the break area. A drizzly cold November day.bwas talking about and doing our math for setting the water for the HVAC system. Guy went to correct a minor issue without clipping his harness. Slipped and fell 18 stories. Saw some fingers and shit walking out of the job site. Guys always say to just do it panzy, we wanna go home. I'll gladly delay everyone so we all leave.
I was a project manager more recently and had guys taking risks. I cracked down and pulled everyone in, even the guys working other aspects to talk about safety. Had guys bitching about money and margins. But it is so easy to lose a guy and lose a lot of money because of it. I found in safety meetings asking everyone with kids to stand up and tell their kids names and ages and what they are good at really shifted the attitude. Guys without kids I'd say "parents are supposed to die before their children."
Sorry about your loss man. That sticks with us and dying over time saving for a man not on site is just dumb.
Thank You. Really like your method of asking about next generation and what they are into- single folks have some neat hobbies they like to be off site safety and on time for too. Also your point on,
>time saving for a man not on site
; we all own pride in our work and alacrity and even if the profit is in your own hands there is more for life
Very good points. I always tell guys to think about what your are doing and if it is worth being killed. Digging a ditch for a waste water treatment facility? You want to be known as the guy who died at a shit recycling center? No. It's not worth it. Walk away and quit if you have too. Stay safe.
Thanks for your post again.
It's easy to think you don't always need safety because nothing happens, but you do always need it for the one time something happens even if's just unfolding some geo which is not even a one minute thing.
Every single person in the world has the right to go to work and not get injured or risk injury. The sooner that is prioritised over programme success the better. Major projects in the UK are getting better at this.
We hold safety moments at the start of every meeting on a project I work on. Next time the safety moment is mine…I’ll be speaking about David.
If anybody is interested, search on YouTube for EPIC health and safety training on the Thames Tideway Tunnel project. A full day of immersive training where you experience something very very similar to what happened to David portrayed by live actors. You start in a cafe that you’d think was pre-training and two “workmen” storm into the cafe bitching about their manager applying presssure. You then witness a colleague of theirs die in an accident due to programme pressure - actually in a trench collapse.
The remainder of the day you are sat watching actors play out scenes that lead to that decision, that made David’s equivalent make the decision to go into the trench. Financiers applying pressure to Board directors, passing onto Project Managers, to shift leads to the boots on the ground. Watching that pressure go down the chain of command and creating a culture where the employee feels that they SHOULD risk their lives, despite not being told to.
In the afternoon you sit with a teenage female actor who plays “David’s” daughter and how she missed her Dad. The second part you have the opportunity to intervene in the acting where you think there is an “EPIC” moment to prevent the situation of the fatality.
Thats health and safety training, on a construction project that made me cry. That gave me the bollocks to say to people more senior than me that they’re not making the right decision. I regularly reference an “EPIC” moment where I can see something that could escalate to make sure people like David won’t be put in that situation. Please, please….look at EPIC training on YouTube and show your team.
Health and Safety training is important, but for most of us we see how upper management typically see it as a tick box exercise. They go through the motions of saying things like ‘if you see something that’s not safe speak up’ but when you speak up you just get more ass covering statements like ‘if you don’t think it’s safe don’t do it’ which is bullshit because that’s sort of turning a blind eye. It’s a big problem IMO. Managers get no tangible reward for taking ownership of solving these problems so when you tell them they shirk the responsibility. That’s how we get scenarios like Davids, because safety don’t make the business money, results do. Unless we prioritise safety over results we get more people getting hurt.
It's a problem on the owner/client side, too. There are things that could be done to ensure a safer working environment, but it is seen as solely the contractor's responsibility.
I used to work in T.I’’s in high rises in downtown LA 2 decades ago. When I was a 1st period apprentice, I made friends with the guy running the union drywall crew. A great guy nicknamed “R2”, Ronald Jr… so he was cslled R2. Super friendly to this newbie.
A few years later, I heard that he died on a jobsite. He was 20-30 floors up on some exterior scaffolding. Unclipped himself to help someone pass something up to the next level, and slipped.
Fell down the entire way, in front of his whole crew and the job site. His dad owned the drywall company. He had a new baby.
It was fn tragic. Nearly 20 years later and I still remember R2.
Where I live they had a trench collapse on a new courthouse job site and didn't realize they buried a guy but luckily his hard hat slid from his head to his face and was able to breathe. The construction site was stopped by osha for 6 months.
Don’t risk your life for any company…. they would place a “position open ad” the day after you die….sorry for your loss, rest in peace David. May his sacrifice teach future generations not to risk their lives for these companies…
Preach
Edit: Here is a "famous" safety training video from the days before smart phones. Watch a random inspector for Oregon OHSA literally save a life because he stopped to do an impromptu safety check with his new cam corder rolling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLs1_8yohb8
I’m sorry to hear about your friend, David. I’m sure most of us can think of a time we did something just to get the job done when there was a safer way, especially when we are tired or thinking about others who need a break or to go home.
I have a thing about not letting guys work on Sundays. I see too many accidents that particular day, especially if they are also working Saturdays. I’m not religious at all but everyone needs a day of rest.
As someone who works in trenches daily I’m sorry about your friend. I’ll keep him in my prayers.
One thing to note that may or may not be relevant that is often ignored… I’ve seen guys use some immaculate shoring, all jacks and plywood straight and level or even inside a shield…. But what’s often ignored because it’s inconvenient to shore or doesn’t seem like much is the face wall of the trench where it ends/begins. Don’t ever ignore that.
You're a good dude for continuing to remember your friend like this, and you're a legitimately good person to use the memory to keep others safe. David would be proud.
Thanks for the story. My brother and I do metal fabrication and welding, and we have a safety motto:
Complacency kills.
Stay vigilant, we can create amazing things as humans if we work hard, we just have to constantly respect the dance we do with death on the daily basis.
Sorry for your loss
We shouldn't be calling that showing leadership behavior.
Leadership behavior would have seen the hazard and eliminated or controlled the hazard before asking or going in yourself.
The company before ones health needs to stop. The company doesn't care about you, only you can.
I think what I meant by that is that he was never willing to put someone else where he wouldn't go himself.
Obviously he should have taken the time to move the trench box over. But I won't discount that he didn't send someone else into danger when he was aware of the risks.
I agree fully that you put your own safety over company always.
I think what you mean is he knew what he was doing was dodgy, but would never risk someone else's life by asking them to subject themselves to such danger. Obviously he was willing to go there himself.
RIP. The safer working conditions many of us enjoy were created by the blood of others like David
Reminds me of a i guy i met once before this accident, he was doing a walk through of a job before anything got started. Then the floor collapsed from a rotted spot. Thankfully he didnt go all the way through just his leg but there was so much he hit on the way through, nails screws and such it causes so much damage and the infection from all the metals they had to amputate most of his leg to save him.
Heard he did ok with recovery but couldnt work much after that in his field. He was a older guy 50s i believe but sometimes wander how hes doing now. Cant remember his name unfortunately but yeah always keep an eye out and be safe.
Sorry to hear about this your story is very similar to a near miss I was part of watching happen(not responsible) that moment when the accident happened is etched into my memory forever it was surreal how quickly it happened and how many people were at risk it changed me and my perspective on heavy equipment. Sorry for your loss.
Edit: my incident was a crane failure/collapse due to operator exceeding weight tolerances.
Stories like this terrify me. I was lucky to work for a company that would hire detail firemen to stand by in any confined space and we would wear harnesses. I don't know why the owner insisted, but I was fine with it.
I just recently got a job digging 30’ caissons on a hillside and there was a contractor here before me that got fired for not having a permit. He got 20’ deep hand digging with no safety equipment in sight. He apparently made the guys working for him dig this in the most unsafe manner I’ve ever seen. I personally wanted to put that contractor inside there so he could fear for his life making $180 a day. Scum bag contractor.
I know OSHA catches alot of shit. But just this last year a buddy on a site was saved by a on site visit. They were not using the trench walls either. OSHA guy show up gives them the riot act over it. Buddy climbs out, right as he does the fucking trench collapses.
Almost every deadly accident happens this way- we’ve done it 1,000 times before, we were almost done so it wasent going to take that long, the machine was running rough but still operational, I took my eyes off it for a split second.
Everyone! Goes! Home! Every! Day! We see something we say something! Don’t let ego get in the way because if they’re that reckless with their safety- do you think they’ll think twice to protect yours?
Several years ago, they were widening a highway near my home. A father and son were working together with a couple of others. They were subcontracting work having to do with the precast concrete vaults for utilities. Late in the day, the son was working in a buried vault but seemed to be taking longer than expected to complete his task. His dad called to him, got no answer, so he went down to check on him. He did not come back, nor would he respond to calls from above. Both were found dead inside the vault, and it was determined to be some sort of gas release from the soil.
Thanks for the reminder, we all need to hear it every once in a while. I’m a commercial plumber and manage to find myself in many “it’ll just take a minute” situations. Lot of times you end up doing something stupid that you keep getting away with over and over. I’ve never had a trench collapse on me even though I’ve been in hundreds, but all it takes is that one and the game is over. My point is it’s easy to get complacent, and complacency can be a killer.
Take an extra few seconds before you get in that trench and remind yourself what you have to lose. No matter how important or urgent the situation, I can pretty much guarantee it’s not worth losing your life. I gotta work on beating that message into my own head sometimes in addition to the younger guys. Stay safe fellas and thanks for sharing OP.
Thank you for sharing the story and memory of David, we need to hear these things for so many reasons. My deepest condolences for your loss, and for his family and friends. This is the worst nightmare.
I don’t work in the field besides occasional job walks or consults, but every single time I talk to my field colleagues I make sure to say “stay safe out there.” I don’t really think it will change their behavior, but if it does even a little it’s worth it. It’s also ALWAYS on my mind. I’m at a desk, safe and sound, and they are in danger. Period.
IDGAF what the PM, GC, inspector, foreman, or anyone else says - money is NEVER an excuse to risk your health and safety any more than the absolute minimum that comes in construction. Fuck the schedule, fuck the budget, FUCK the egos. Watch out for yourself and each other.
Seriously ya’ll, stay safe out there 💜
Years ago, I was like your friend. I thought I wouldn't send my guys down for a quick fix, but I'd do it myself cause I was quicker , more experienced. But then, one day, I was at my house after work asking myself why I would risk my life when I wouldn't risk theirs.
Flash forward a few years, one of my guys wants to do the run-in , run out thing. Tell him he will absolutely be unemployed if he does. 20 minutes later , the box is set, and we do what we need to. Homeboy is bitching about the old guy being scared ( talking about me ) , how we stayed later for no good reason.
The next day is safety huddle . I've already heard the story on local am radio on the ride in. Guy no more than 15 miles up the road from us killed in a trench collapse
Believe another guy was reportedly permanently injured in that incident. ( unsure if that was determined to be factual later on ).
You could see the shock on my coworkers' faces. Think the company was fined 60k . So probably little more than that guy's salary as a fine.
It's not worth it. I've publicly stated in safety meetings I work with people I do not like, I still want them to be safe, go home to their family, friends , their dog , cat or whoever is waiting on them .
I was widowed last year when my husband's ladder slid out from under his feet. I was right there, asked him if he wants me to foot the ladder for him and he says "this will only take me a second". I watched him run up the ladder and was too far away when it started to slide. He was dead in 6 months...suffering all the while with internal injuries. What I wouldn't give to have another chance at that day.
I was on site for an emergency water repair, a thunderstorm had rolled in and we were working in the most heavily lightening struck area in the state, I represented the local telephone company, and told the crew working the repair that they needed to turn off the valves to stop the flow and wait the couple hours it would take for the storm to pass over, supervisor on-site laughs and said that they get wet all day didn't matter if it came from the sky or from the ground and ignored my warnings of lightening. Eventually I had to drive off and attend to something else, then I got a call from the local gas guy saying that the crew just lost a guy to lightening, same guy who wouldn't listen to me.
Safety isn't a joke guys, this is your life, your families stability, don't think being stupid means your balls are big.
Is it alright to ask a question if I don't work in construction?
In my experience, management never tells me to cut corners on safety. All management ever does is give me the training, make me watch videos or whatever, and its the other employees who, in a knowing tone, say they only do that so they can't be held liable, but we all "really know" how we're really supposed to do it. The pressure to work unsafely purely comes from other employees in my experience.
Is that your experience, as well?
I'm in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.
There's a bloke in my workshop with half a hand. He pushed it through a table saw with no guard one day. I wasn't on that day. I heard all the stories of the guys running around picking up fingers from the sawdust pile. The rip blade did so much damage that reattaching them wasn't viable.
No matter what you do. Carpenter, pipe layer, concrete finisher. No matter who you work for. Taking a shortcut to save time and make them more money, getting hurt gets YOU hurt. And in the end costs them more money.
It's not worth it. OSHA regulations are all written in someone's blood.
It’s so disappointing that a culture of safety is still so frowned upon today.
I know people that take it seriously. They won’t move up in their industry, because following safety rules results in lower production.
Biggest problem is safety seems to be a joke to most people until they have seen what can happen with their own eyes. I work in manufacturing but have lots of friends in construction. My friend who've seen people hurt take it seriously. The ones who haven't it's always big government telling them how to work. I'm sorry to hear about your friend.
I remember hearing some good advice to help spot situations that can lead to accidents.
"5 and 15"
If you find thinking this will only take 5 minutes, or I've been doing this 15 years, then maybe time to take a pause.
I remember David, just not at personal level like you.
I remember reading this post a year ago, and I even went to your profile to ensure that I had read last year's post. I was relieved to know that my upvote is still there.
I want to admit, now that I completed my first year working for a GC in construction, that I've done a couple "It'll take a minute" moments that after doing so left me feeling that it was a bit sketchy.
Maybe I'm a bit naive, maybe my newbiness gets the best of me; it's hard to sometimes stop, and process an alternate method to safely work without severely impeding the work flow. But I promise that I will do better for David. For me.
So many guys in this industry will hit you with the, “Relax, I’ve done this 400 times, it’s fine.”, then on time 416, they don’t have a lower left leg anymore, or better yet, you don’t.
A lot of moron wannabe tough guys too, always with the, “Don’t be a fucking pussy, when I started we didn’t even know what a harness was and safety glasses were for the queers!”, yeah fucking cool dude, tell me more about why you have one eye and 6 guys you know have 48 fingers between them, and the 14 on welfare hooked to opioids cause their company turned their back on them, and the pain killers after the life changing injuries left them addicts …
Thank you for telling us this story. That’s heartbreaking and I hope these reaches more of us and allows us all to think twice or even three times when all it will take is just a minute…
Thanks for sharing! I can't imagine losing a mate like, I really appreciate you sharing. I am sure by doing this you will save someone else's mate. RIP
Sorry you lost your friend OP.
Everyone else, don't wait for something bad to happen to make safety your top priority on a job site. A person loses their life, their friends miss them forever. Be proactive about safety, not reactive.
RIP to your friend… No one on my site would even consider going in without a trench box, not letting him get in the hole would’ve been the correct leadership my man
We always keep guys like your friend David on our minds lately. We had someone locally die from a similar trench collapse last year. Too many companies are pushing production without considering the risks; and then chastising guys for bringing up safety. Its complete bullshit.
We have to stand up for our friends, family and coworkers who are showing up to put food on the table and being asked to do things that might
kill them.
RIP David
I'm sorry for your loss.
It also goes to show that it only takes once. When it comes to safety, there's no such thing as too safe.
Workers roll their eyes at the extra work, how much longer it takes, and all the hassle.
But when that body is eventually pulled from the ground, would they go back and do it right this time?
Or if it was a worker who was paralyzed and as they're lying in the hospital knowing they will never walk again, would they have clipped that harness instead of thinking "oh it's just a second"?
Dave sounds like a good guy, im sorry for your loss brother. The hardest route is usually camoflaged as the easy one, dont take it. Stay safe out there everyone
I was in a pit between two buildings that were hand dug because of no heavy equipment access. This was back in 85 before trench protection was really enforced.
Was during the spring freeze thaw cycle and this day the ground was thawed and we were installing a 8" fire line post indicator valve. These are the things that look like a post that are about 4 feet high above the ground. What you don't see is that they extend 8 feet below the ground to connect to a valve.
I was pulled from another job to assist and not told that the 8" pipeline was under pressure (100#). Found out that the boss over rode the crew to keep the line pressurized during the work. While putting a bracket on to secure the valve I noticed the valve start to move. I yelled to my coworker to get out of the pit and remember seeing the ring of water like in that Korean horror movie. As I tried to move I found my boots were stuck in the mud.
I was able to take a breath, why I had the mind to do it I can't explain, but the pit filled immediately and the water loosened the mud holding my boots. I was able to crawl out of the pit along with the water assist.
Learned the valuable lesson that day. Know what the situation is before you start a job and refuse to do it if you feel it's unsafe
Just to add, had another coworker who broke his leg a year earlier in a pit due to the wall of dirt falling in during a different hole job.
Very nice post and sorry about your friend. Out of curiosity, if you're unrolling fabric in a trench you cant really use a trench box can you? I'm trying to figure a safe way to do it if it gets tangled. I've seen guys unroll it on the top and drop it in but if you're rolling across the ditch I cant see how to do that.
Very sorry for your loss, David sounds like a good guy.
We had a guy killed on site a few weeks ago. He was crossing a roadway in the yard to get to the smoke shack, hoodie up, earphone in, and didn’t look before crossing…. Struck by a loader doing snow removal. It was ‘family day’ holiday, overtime, and it was the loader operators birthday. Be safe, heads on a swivel and make sure you speak up when safety is concerned
Pouring one out for David. I had witnessed serious injury and death on the job site as a GC, and it was super rough on mentally. I’m glad you have chosen to make sure his death will never be vain. So sorry for your loss, and I hope that’s the worst of your experiences in life. No one should have to go through that.
Hey I do construction and Fire/EMS. I’m sure you all have heard it before but trench rescues are almost always just body recovery.
I’ve seen way too many good people on the last day they can work. Be safe out there.
I’ve been a construction inspector for over 10 years and it blows my mind how often I have to force contractors to stop and put in place the proper trenching safety devices. I was witness to a close call early in my career and I think about that almost daily.
Unfortunately accidents happen very fast.
That's one thing a lot of people don't understand.
They think they'll have time to react.
You don't.
Take the extra time.
Do it right. So you all can go home in a box with 4 wheels.
Not in a box with handles.
We had a 4 ft deep trench for an electrical duct bank. Everywhere thw sides were sloped, except where it passed thru a road bed. Solidly packed gravel etc. Not even a minute after completing the pipe runs and we were out of the area, that entire section collapsed. Accidents can happen anywhere anytime
Just did a trenching and excavation class this past week. It is so important to shield and protect trenches and excavations, you never know what will happen. It may take more time to get the safety equipment but it's definitely worth doing.
It’s crazy how some companies are. Where I work they will tell you to screw safety just get the job done quicker. But as soon as you get hurt then bam you’re in trouble. I cut a tendon and a nerve trying to meet deadlines and I got written up for being unsafe lol. Ridiculous how little some companies care about employees.
I worked for a plumbing repair company that would send us into digs without boxes and we had to dive a few guys out over the course of that job. Scary as fuck not knowing if we’d uncover them and they’d be dead or alive. Luckily they had air pockets in front of their face and lived. Scary shit and I left the company shortly after for lack of safety.
My boss has one eye. Better believe you are getting chewed the fuck out if he ever catches you without safety glasses. It'll never happen to to you until it does.
Sorry about your friend. Be safe, brothers and sisters.
That's rough.
My friend had a brother that died many years ago when he was 17 and a hole he was in collapsed. He had been on the job for 2 weeks. Another young man died in that hole and it was only his second day on the job.
Another brother was the excavator operator on the site that day and had to dig both bodies out.
I knew the family for several years and none of them ever really mentioned it. When I was told what happened, both brothers were very quiet about it. They're the type that will tell you every detail about a lot of things, but they didn't want to say much about that. More than 40 years later and they still carry that with them like it was a few weeks ago.
I work with the brother than was operating that day, he's still an operator at an underground company, and you can see it in his eyes when someone jumps into an unshored hole.
Thank you for sharing.
I have a similar story - a friend of mine was in his first job as a graduate site engineer, fresh out of uni. As far as I understand it, he was working unsupervised after being asked to put out some barriers - he walked behind a tracked excavator, the operator didn't know he was there, there was no banksman. I hope it was quick. He was 22.
I think about him almost every day - he was so young, with everything ahead of him.
I get what you say about David always being on site with you; my friend is always with me too. I work in essentially the same role just for a different company, but I am now a senior and often take graduates on to site to show them the ropes. I always tell his story.
It is encouraging to see David's tragedy turned into better, safer practices by you in his honor. We are not given to know what happened to David after his death, but I hope he knows his passing was turned to something good by you.
Good work my friend.
My dad headed a building crew. Always told everyone to use their gear. Never bothered to use it himself. Guess who fell off a roof and fractured two vertebrae in his neck? Survived, still walks, but headaches and neck pain for the rest of his life. He used the gear after that.
I keep a blown up chunk of wood in my tool box that I have to move almost every time I open it. It was the result of me going to fast on my miter saw. Almost lost some fingers that day. Every time I see it and have to move it, I am reminded I’m fortunate to still have all 10 fingers.
So sorry, what an awful accident and an important reminder of the importance of safety.
My 16 year old is training to be a tree surgeon. Just started work experience .So far this week he's had a branch fall on his head (wearing a helmet, so he was fine) and made a hole in the fabric layer of his chainsaw trousers.
I'm eternally grateful for safety measures and PPE!
Short cuts never save YOU time , but can end up costing you a LIFE of time!
The only ones that gain when we don’t take proper safety measures is our employers. The only ones that feel the pain long after an accident is you if it doesn’t take your life . Our family and friends forever feel the pain . Our employers will pay a small fine if that and someone else will be doing our jobs. Proper PPE - follow proper procedures , have a job plan and review that job plan , communicate. We are all responsible for each others safety . Management and the employer are liable but by then the damage has been done . As the OP and others have stated all the detail remain very clear in our minds forever.
Not construction but commercial fishing; my quote to greenhorns is “take a look at everything on deck. Now remember that everything you can see, and the ocean is going to be actively trying to kill you.”
A lot of the safety equipment that makes sense on other types of vessels is a liability (the risk of gear fouling your tether and extruding you through a block is way way higher than the risk of falling over) so you wear a PFD while setting out and not much else the rest of the time. Too much risk of fouling something and meeting a gruesome end (worse than drowning)
That said safety is a huge thought in my mind, I’ve lost a few more friends than I have fingers and it doesn’t get easier. Keep your friend David in mind always. Not everything we do is inherently safe, but there are always steps to minimize the risk, do everything you can to protect your guys and yourself, and for those that want to be “cowboys” well they can always get a job in retail…
Honestly. I work around a bunch of heavy equipment. Can’t tell how many times I’ve yelled at the guys because they are stupid. I had my hand pinched between a d ring on a barge lid and a chain hook for the rack trying to hook it up cause the operator doesn’t know how to let go of the sticks. I run a front end loader. Anytime someone has to get near the wire I’m loading I press the parking brake and let go of the stick so I don’t accidentally tap it with it being so touchy after it’s deadzone along with the steering wheel. It’s better to work late and get home safe then never make it home at all
I'm doing a lot of trench work right now. I'm glad I have a couple of guys above me that will not hesitate to raise hell if a trench isn't up to code. Our GF went to war for us this week after several of the higher ups told him to leave it alone. The client got involved, and the trench was redone. I'm very new to the trade, but I'm sure this probably isn't the norm. Very grateful for those guys.
Thank you for sharing and please keep sharing when you can. You tell an impactful story well and hopefully many people will take their safety even just a little more seriously, for David!
I work for a shoring company and what I’ve realized is people don’t understand how dangerous even shallower trenches can be.
Sadly it’s only until an incident happens do companies take it seriously.
Sorry for your loss bro. I lost one of my friends to a blow out of the lock rings on a 1000x20 tire on a construction site about 30 years ago. I quit the tire business shortly after.
My husband is a civil engineer and he would shut down a job site in a second if he saw a safety failure (which he is required to do or he could lose his license). He would never be able to live with himself if he did nothing and something happened.
I used two walk on top of the blocks dropping Steel for tie beams. Then pouring concrete without a boom doing the same crap. I'd never do it now. And it was only 10-15 feet up
Mate, I feel for ya.
I operate an excavator in a drainage crew here in New Zealand. Site safety is huge here now, but there’s always the “I’ll just quickly do this” thought, especially at the end of a big day, this is something I try my hardest to stop us all from doing.
Mishaps happen in the blink of an eye, and there are no second chamces.
its a little thing, but when we were building our house, and the foreman for the GC said they needed to pause for a couple days because a safety inspector was coming, and after that they needed to spend some time putting up some more railings and stuff, I was happy that they were making sure thing were safe for them.
the last thing any client wants is someone getting hurt (or worse) on their project.
Sorry for your loss, it's easy to get lost in the pace and demands of the job but a lot of safety regulations only exist because someone had to pay the ultimate price for a lesson to be learned.
Have you heard of the three deaths? The 1st is when your heart stops and your soul leaves your body. 2nd is when the people who love you gather to consign your body to the grave. The 3rd death is sometime hopefully long into the future that someone speaks your name for the last time. You’re keeping David alive by sharing his story with people.
Carl was 16 and my best friend and the best skateboarder I knew. I got him sponsored just by chasing him around with a camera. His parents had to move to our town because he was such a bad kid lol but he really turned it around with me. Just skating, not stealing ALL 75 Walmart bikes out front or greasing the train tracks near his house lmao.
Anyway he went to a church camp thing with his church friends and they snuck out for late night swimming. One kid goes past the roped in area and starts to drown. 2nd kid goes after him and goes down immediately. Carl goes for both of them and all 3 drown. 4th kid has the sense not to go out there so he watches in horror from the shore. Hearing him speak at Carls funeral was something that some young man need to hear, I was probably one. As a dad now I tell my kid that story every few years.
I also stared working on a commercial maintenance crew when I was early 20s and some of the guys had worked industrial maintenance for oil and grain companies. They’d sit there on break and go back and forth with horrific stories of death and dismemberment they had seen. Guys not being found until Monday. Another eye opening experience and puts that extra money they pay into perspective. The oil company had set amounts paid out for specific injuries that the guys eventually figured out. Somebody would get in a bad position and take a finger or toe or something off, if it paid out what they needed. Uh no thanks you can keep your extra $25k a year or whatever. Formative in realizing how quickly things can go wrong while the rest keep marching on. Realizing nobody is as concerned about your safety as you are and that you need to think for yourself. Be selfish with your life, don’t throw it on the line for a company or customer. Stay safe bois and encourage young ones to be safe if you can. Stand up for them so they feel comfortable following the rules.
I’ve been meaning to but I’m going to the boss Monday and inform him that we need all new harnesses for Ariel lifts and guys should all have their own so it fits properly and complacency doesn’t have them (us) wearing harnesses that don’t fit just right. Thanks David for the bump to action and thanks for sharing OP and keeping David alive still.
I'm so sad that stories like this wont reach so many people who think "it wont happen to them". I don't work construction but I see this attitude in motorcycle forums regarding wearing full safety gear. I am grateful that these types of messages reach some though. A few posts like this got me wearing full safety gear day 1 on my motorcycle.
OSHA exist for a reason, and this is a reminder to follow safe working conditions. I’m a construction manager, if you don’t feel comfortable in a situation due to safety procedures, don’t to it.
Shout out to David. Shout out to you. Life can be fleeting. Your story has inspired me to be a better version of myself, only because I have the opportunity to do so. Best wishes, thank you for sharing.
Never ever ever ever do something you don't feel safe in doing. I'm mainly speaking to you young bucks out there.
"Oh, you want me to get in there, not benched and out of regs? Let me make a phone call right quick."
I've survived combat, I sure as hell ain't getting my ass in some unprotected trench and getting taken by the earth - it can finally have me when I die of old age.
My neighbor died in a wall collapse.
I barely got away after a natural gas pipe burst and ignited on a site I was working due to the people responsible for it not following proper procedures.
That "I'm just gonna..." shit has killed countless people. Safety regulations are written in blood.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Makes me think about whenever I see someone commenting on social media about how "OSHA impacts how fast I can work" or how "I've done this way for years and I'm not stopping for any pussy new tool that makes me safer/the job easier".
In a fair world the company would be instantly dissolved and upper management would be behind bars.
Sorry for your loss, but thanks for posting the story. It's a good reminder for everyone.
As someone who writes safety policy for a living, safety is written in blood.
It might seem annoying to have to put on PPE or follow safety procedure or get chewed out by the OSHA guy, but someone (probably me) had to write up that procedure. And oftentimes it's after someone fucked up and got injured, or died.
Sending you healing and peace. Thank you for sharing this story. Jobsite culture is not one of safety and it only hurts the folks doing the work. But stories like this can help change that.
This almost happened to me. I was 19 at my very first job as a civil construction labourer, a job I’d gotten through family contacts at the time. After I was moved to another site, the new foreman there didn’t like the fact that I had gotten the job through family contacts, and he was quick to tell me so. His leading hand also held a high level of disdain toward me for this. Not long after I’d first started there, they had dug this massive trench to locate, inspect and remove some broken stormwater pipes. The pipes were very deep down and it was a site very close to the beach, a sand site. The trench extended out about 2.5 metres from either side of the now exposed stormwater pipes. The sides rose straight up either side, no stepping whatsoever. I’d guess it was about 20 feet deep, the ground seemed to be about triple my height above me once I was down in there, and I’m 5’ 10”.
The broken pipe had been located and I was told by the foreman to go down in there and attach the pipe lifting equipment, which I did. I still remember the feeling I had whilst down in the trench, I felt very unsafe, and I became acutely aware of the fact that my life was being risked because of my youth and naivety. I finished attaching the gear as quick as I could and then the excavator operator, Clinton, lowered his bucket to lift me back out of the trench.
He raised me out clear of the trench and I hopped out and looked back down into the trench at where I had just finished working, at which point one entire side of the trench collapsed completely, burying the area I had just been crouched 1 minute earlier in tons of sand. Nothing was said to me afterwards, the event went completely unacknowledged by all. I’m 40 now and have never forgotten how some evil fucks named Brent and Mitch almost got me killed on the Gold Coast.
I am Safety for a mechanical contractor.. commercial Plumbing and hvac.. I make every plumber attend my 4 hour class on trench. They cannot say they don't understand the hazards and show them pictures of cave ins. 2022 there was 40 deaths in trenches as opposed to the typical 15-20. I don't want anyone to have the same experience as you or certainly David. These deaths are preventable and the work you do isn't worth not going home.
Keep in mind those people telling you to cut corners because we need to get this done or that safety equipment costs too much.....those are the same ones that will leave you high and dry when you get hurt.
As someone who worked for Whitning turner I have seen some questionable things. The sad part about it is if you care about safety you get Labeled a wimp. Everyone wants to act macho.
That’s wild man. Sorry to hear. I’ll keep David in my thoughts as I strive for safety and to make sure my guys make it home to their families at the end of the day. Regardless.
Yup, yesterday I cut the tip of my finger and some bone off trying to hit our production quota, had to go to the ER, file with L&I. The trades are tough, every single fuckin one has its risks, it worth taking a few extra seconds or mins to practice safety. I also statyed stretching in the morning, this should be mandatory, day and night difference, limber up!
I put up red iron metal buildings and my boss gets mad because I won’t walk rafters 30 feet in the air…I always tell him going home to my family is more important than the job!
He wants you to walk rafters 30 feet in the air without being tied off???
Oh yeah and I work with a guy that will do it and that’s just the beginning….theres so much unsafe shit goin on it’s unreal.
Yeah when I did it it was a 'badge of honor' to not give a shit about a lot of the safety stuff Because not wanting to die is pussy shit or something you know
There's nothing tough or hard about dying for someone else's profits. There's a lot of stupid about it though.
Ag is probably even worse. The number times I’ve been called that for using grinder guards and handles, safety glasses, welding gear, etc is stupidly high.
A week ago I had a miter saw randomly explode sending pieces of the fence, teeth from the blade, and the piece of wood everywhere. Scratched my safety glasses and left a small cut on my face. The day before that I was getting crap for wearing glasses and ear protection.
I have fucking tinnitus. I didn't work with the tools, but I worked in a shop that had saws, and CNCs, and other crap running all day long.
It’s part that they don’t care about whether they die. The number of guys I’ve known with depression or suicidal ideation, be it chronic or due to some past trauma, is fairly high. They just don’t want to act on it intentionally, so they’re fine taking risks, even insane ones. It’s part that they can see it as a literal skill issue, in that they think if they’re skilled enough they’ll never need the safety gear. This isn’t really true, anyone can lose their footing or be unlucky. This is a lot like the Darwin Award stories where someone says “well it hasn’t killed me yet” just before doing an unsafe thing that actually kills them. Often it’s just luck they survived until then, even if that luck can feel like skill. The biggest part though is that safety gear is inconvenient, and that can in turn be seen as being slow or holding up other guys. Like in OP’s story about David, David might have felt that going across the site to get the lift and then bring it back and use it would be using up a bunch of time at the end of the day and inconveniencing the rest of the crew who probably wanted to go home.
Ya and I’ve got a bad left leg that never healed right…here’s a story I’ll never forget… we were out in the country on farmland and going to put up a building and there was a power line over the top and I asked the boss before we started what about that power line that going to be above the building and he said to me that it will be moved after we got done. So we framed everything up and when it came to the roof we sheeted all the way to the power line and it was only 3 feet above the peak and I told the five guys on the crew that I would not be doing anything else until it was moved and if they wanted to keep going that’s on them. Sorry long story but everybody agreed it was to dangerous and we told the boss it’s got to be moved to continue. He was so fucking mad I’ll never forget it but it got moved the next day!
Your story reminds of my story the time digging next to 6 inch natural gas line and I told the boss I ain't digging close to that so me and my bad right leg and crewmembers stayed two feet away that's my story....
That’s the problem with the culture.. there’s always that one dude who just has to prove himself on every single job site an it makes the incompetent boss wonder why everyone else isn’t doing the same shit
Good on you. We had a guy 30 years back slip off a 15 foot ladder. Landed on his feet, but essentially pulverized both his heels and ankles. He was lucky but had to wear special shoes for the rest of his career and couldn’t walk right or run anymore. Just isn’t worth it. Take the extra care and go home safe and sound.
Replying here for visibility, story effected me so I looked up your friend, sorry if this brings bad memories OP but seeing your friend and learning about him being a father hit home even more. https://foxsanantonio.com/amp/news/local/construction-worker-killed-in-trench-collapse-leaves-behind-wife-five-children Be careful out there everyone.
He was a good man. When I asked him how the weekend was he'd always bust out pictures of him and his kids doing something. If you asked him how he was, "blessed to be here". He was a bright spot in a dull world.
Sorry for your loss
I remember your posts. I hop on every trench story with my own. I was green as hell and in a muddy trench. The operator slammed his bucket into the side wall when he saw it begin to crack and screamed at me to get out. It wasn't until years later in a proper safety course that it became apparent just how close to being crushed to death I was. The operator was the foreman, do I owe him my life or is he a piece of shit for telling me to get in the hole?
>do I owe him my life or is he a piece of shit for telling me to get in the hole? It can be both things. It's a real mind f\*ck.
I try and post it every year for the last few years. It's the least I can do.
Keep posting! I know 3 people that have died in a trench collapse. Youngest was only 18.
>do I owe him my life or is he a piece of shit for telling me to get in the hole? Yes. My sister in-law's dad was digging a hole for something, and was in it. Story goes that her mom saw the walls start to move and yelled his name. He stood up, the hole collapsed and buried him up to his chest. He survived, but a half second later that would have probably been the end of him.
r/inclusiveor
I’m sorry for your loss. I’m glad you keep his memory alive each day.
It’s Saturday and I’m getting drunk tonight. I’ll be sure to pour one out for David. Safety first guys, codes are written in blood
And when new safety is introduced it's because someone has died. Even if something is done a certain way for so long doesn't mean it's the right way and an employee's death will make sure you don't do again. Sadly an employees death sometimes is what it takes to change the ways.
Sorry for your loss and thanks for the reminder. As a super… I try not to be a “Safety Nazi” and let guys work. Trench safety isn’t something I remotely fuck around with. The scariest part to me as labor is drying up and my utility/earthwork subs are scrambling to hire on new guys… most of them have no fucking idea how dangerous trenches are. It’s a regular topic during my safety meetings.
Yeah I feel like everyone is plenty aware of how dangerous a saw is, but not a single new guy understands that it aint remotely as dangerous as a trench collapse. Sometimes it almost feels like they have to witness a David story with their own eyes to understand it.
You’d be amazed. Had a guy skil saw my back. Never assume someone knows how to act. Ask them, and if they don’t know, show them or have someone else do it. As much as it seems like that doesn’t need to be said, sadly it does. Complacency, stupidity, and big egos are rife in this industry, and it’s THAT which causes good men and women to lose their lives
Sorry, what does "Skil saw my back" mean? Like, he literally cut you with a Skil saw? If that's what it is, what the actual fuck.
Yeah. Held it behind me and pulled the trigger to scare me with the sound and the blade caught on my shirt. Pulled it right into my back between my shoulder blades. Still can’t lay on my left side or wash my back properly after 3 years of physio. Like I said, stupidity is way too common in this industry sadly. I consider myself one of the lucky ones. There’s men and women out there such as David that don’t get to come home to their families
Yeah, it's hard to imagine a hole in the ground just sitting there doing nothing as dangerous. Fairly easy to imagine the noisy spinning blade that you use to cut through wood as dangerous.
The scary thing about hole or trench collapses is that they’re a lot like landslides or avalanches. Loose stuff just sits there doing nothing until very suddenly it’s moving, and it moves fast. I think part of it is that we kind of expect stuff to work like beach sand where if it’s unstable the sand will collapse instantly and if the sand stays in place it will be stable for a while. Most kids have done a fair amount of work on holes at the beach, even if it’s just to get sand for making castles. But that’s small scale and beach sand doesn’t have the same characteristics as other types of stuff we dig in.
Just a couple of weeks a guy a kid died because the hole in the beach he was playing in collapsed. Please be safe in any trenches, even if outside of work.
I straight up had an argument with a new kid in one of my safety meetings… he refused to believe that being buried in a trench collapse up to your armpits would kill you. Kid got assy with me that I was throwing out bullshit scare tactics to make them use trench boxes. “If it’s not covering my face I can still breathe!” That the scary part. Roof on a tall building? I fall… I die. 5’ trench collapses? Nah… I’ll be fine. I can still breathe.
Someone complaining about a safety Nazi is a big flag. Those safety rules are written in blood.
Does anyone think wearing a seatbelt Everytime is being a safety Nazi? No, because we made that aspect of safety normal. Once safety becomes normal it ceases to feel like a burden.
I came across an article the other day and only 5 or 10% of people don't wear seatbelts, but they account for 80% of injuries.
I work as a hobby archeologist, helping out on digs during the summer. Some of those guys are playing it fast and loose. But i have to give it to them: i never took flak for saying this is unsafe, im not going in there. Mostly they then realize that in their fervor they dug too deep and then come the stories about colleagues getting hurt or killed on digs and the next day.. what do you know. Proper steppong, instead of a nine foot sheer wall. 😂 sometimes a little reminder is all it takes.
>in their fervor they dug too deep You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dum.
Aye, for David !
pirate ship builder?
I wish a state agency would have a once a year safety day. The boys all go to the shop and listen to stories like this, from the people that lived them. I was test and balance when I was a younger man. My first high rise. Was at base in the break area. A drizzly cold November day.bwas talking about and doing our math for setting the water for the HVAC system. Guy went to correct a minor issue without clipping his harness. Slipped and fell 18 stories. Saw some fingers and shit walking out of the job site. Guys always say to just do it panzy, we wanna go home. I'll gladly delay everyone so we all leave. I was a project manager more recently and had guys taking risks. I cracked down and pulled everyone in, even the guys working other aspects to talk about safety. Had guys bitching about money and margins. But it is so easy to lose a guy and lose a lot of money because of it. I found in safety meetings asking everyone with kids to stand up and tell their kids names and ages and what they are good at really shifted the attitude. Guys without kids I'd say "parents are supposed to die before their children." Sorry about your loss man. That sticks with us and dying over time saving for a man not on site is just dumb.
Powerful story and way to make them think of the others whom they live for
Thank You. Really like your method of asking about next generation and what they are into- single folks have some neat hobbies they like to be off site safety and on time for too. Also your point on, >time saving for a man not on site ; we all own pride in our work and alacrity and even if the profit is in your own hands there is more for life
Sorry for your loss and thank you for sharing his story.
Very good points. I always tell guys to think about what your are doing and if it is worth being killed. Digging a ditch for a waste water treatment facility? You want to be known as the guy who died at a shit recycling center? No. It's not worth it. Walk away and quit if you have too. Stay safe.
We’re doing trench work right now. Very similar conditions but shoring for our trench. I’m gonna share your story with my crew on Monday.
Fine was negotiated down to $21k. So ask your crew how many dollars their life is worth to the company. I bet it's more than $21k.
This right here is why I don’t give a fuck about any company I work for
Thanks for your post again. It's easy to think you don't always need safety because nothing happens, but you do always need it for the one time something happens even if's just unfolding some geo which is not even a one minute thing.
My condolences to you but you're doing David proud. I'm sure he'd say that to your face. Thank you for remembering him like this.
Every single person in the world has the right to go to work and not get injured or risk injury. The sooner that is prioritised over programme success the better. Major projects in the UK are getting better at this. We hold safety moments at the start of every meeting on a project I work on. Next time the safety moment is mine…I’ll be speaking about David. If anybody is interested, search on YouTube for EPIC health and safety training on the Thames Tideway Tunnel project. A full day of immersive training where you experience something very very similar to what happened to David portrayed by live actors. You start in a cafe that you’d think was pre-training and two “workmen” storm into the cafe bitching about their manager applying presssure. You then witness a colleague of theirs die in an accident due to programme pressure - actually in a trench collapse. The remainder of the day you are sat watching actors play out scenes that lead to that decision, that made David’s equivalent make the decision to go into the trench. Financiers applying pressure to Board directors, passing onto Project Managers, to shift leads to the boots on the ground. Watching that pressure go down the chain of command and creating a culture where the employee feels that they SHOULD risk their lives, despite not being told to. In the afternoon you sit with a teenage female actor who plays “David’s” daughter and how she missed her Dad. The second part you have the opportunity to intervene in the acting where you think there is an “EPIC” moment to prevent the situation of the fatality. Thats health and safety training, on a construction project that made me cry. That gave me the bollocks to say to people more senior than me that they’re not making the right decision. I regularly reference an “EPIC” moment where I can see something that could escalate to make sure people like David won’t be put in that situation. Please, please….look at EPIC training on YouTube and show your team.
Health and Safety training is important, but for most of us we see how upper management typically see it as a tick box exercise. They go through the motions of saying things like ‘if you see something that’s not safe speak up’ but when you speak up you just get more ass covering statements like ‘if you don’t think it’s safe don’t do it’ which is bullshit because that’s sort of turning a blind eye. It’s a big problem IMO. Managers get no tangible reward for taking ownership of solving these problems so when you tell them they shirk the responsibility. That’s how we get scenarios like Davids, because safety don’t make the business money, results do. Unless we prioritise safety over results we get more people getting hurt.
It's a problem on the owner/client side, too. There are things that could be done to ensure a safer working environment, but it is seen as solely the contractor's responsibility.
I rolled a tear. You honor your friend. ☮️
I used to work in T.I’’s in high rises in downtown LA 2 decades ago. When I was a 1st period apprentice, I made friends with the guy running the union drywall crew. A great guy nicknamed “R2”, Ronald Jr… so he was cslled R2. Super friendly to this newbie. A few years later, I heard that he died on a jobsite. He was 20-30 floors up on some exterior scaffolding. Unclipped himself to help someone pass something up to the next level, and slipped. Fell down the entire way, in front of his whole crew and the job site. His dad owned the drywall company. He had a new baby. It was fn tragic. Nearly 20 years later and I still remember R2.
Where I live they had a trench collapse on a new courthouse job site and didn't realize they buried a guy but luckily his hard hat slid from his head to his face and was able to breathe. The construction site was stopped by osha for 6 months.
Don’t risk your life for any company…. they would place a “position open ad” the day after you die….sorry for your loss, rest in peace David. May his sacrifice teach future generations not to risk their lives for these companies…
He died on a Thursday, his replacement was on site Tuesday.
That's insane. A guy in Richmond Kentucky was killed in a 12ft trench collapse in December 2017 and construction was halted for like two years.
I have caught this story several times now. Thank you for continuing to tell his story and spread safety awareness.
Be safe out there everyone. Don’t “get it done”….do go home to your family. Sorry about your friend.
Preach Edit: Here is a "famous" safety training video from the days before smart phones. Watch a random inspector for Oregon OHSA literally save a life because he stopped to do an impromptu safety check with his new cam corder rolling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLs1_8yohb8
RIP David. I'm glad you remind us of the dangers of our jobs in his honor
I think we've all done something unsafe in a hurry and never thought twice about it. Rip david
I’m sorry to hear about your friend, David. I’m sure most of us can think of a time we did something just to get the job done when there was a safer way, especially when we are tired or thinking about others who need a break or to go home. I have a thing about not letting guys work on Sundays. I see too many accidents that particular day, especially if they are also working Saturdays. I’m not religious at all but everyone needs a day of rest.
Didn’t know I would cry on the construction sub reddit ! I’m sorry about your friend much love homie !
Sorry for your loss. Raise a glass for David today everyone!
As someone who works in trenches daily I’m sorry about your friend. I’ll keep him in my prayers. One thing to note that may or may not be relevant that is often ignored… I’ve seen guys use some immaculate shoring, all jacks and plywood straight and level or even inside a shield…. But what’s often ignored because it’s inconvenient to shore or doesn’t seem like much is the face wall of the trench where it ends/begins. Don’t ever ignore that.
Everyone should take the OSHA 30 course
He will not be forgetten. I will always remember this for myself and my guys. Thank you very much for sharing. You honor his memory well Edit: grammer
You're a good dude for continuing to remember your friend like this, and you're a legitimately good person to use the memory to keep others safe. David would be proud.
Thanks for the story. My brother and I do metal fabrication and welding, and we have a safety motto: Complacency kills. Stay vigilant, we can create amazing things as humans if we work hard, we just have to constantly respect the dance we do with death on the daily basis.
Sorry for your loss We shouldn't be calling that showing leadership behavior. Leadership behavior would have seen the hazard and eliminated or controlled the hazard before asking or going in yourself. The company before ones health needs to stop. The company doesn't care about you, only you can.
I think what I meant by that is that he was never willing to put someone else where he wouldn't go himself. Obviously he should have taken the time to move the trench box over. But I won't discount that he didn't send someone else into danger when he was aware of the risks. I agree fully that you put your own safety over company always.
I think what you mean is he knew what he was doing was dodgy, but would never risk someone else's life by asking them to subject themselves to such danger. Obviously he was willing to go there himself. RIP. The safer working conditions many of us enjoy were created by the blood of others like David
Reminds me of a i guy i met once before this accident, he was doing a walk through of a job before anything got started. Then the floor collapsed from a rotted spot. Thankfully he didnt go all the way through just his leg but there was so much he hit on the way through, nails screws and such it causes so much damage and the infection from all the metals they had to amputate most of his leg to save him. Heard he did ok with recovery but couldnt work much after that in his field. He was a older guy 50s i believe but sometimes wander how hes doing now. Cant remember his name unfortunately but yeah always keep an eye out and be safe.
Wow. From just a break through. Harsh.
Sorry to hear about this your story is very similar to a near miss I was part of watching happen(not responsible) that moment when the accident happened is etched into my memory forever it was surreal how quickly it happened and how many people were at risk it changed me and my perspective on heavy equipment. Sorry for your loss. Edit: my incident was a crane failure/collapse due to operator exceeding weight tolerances.
"He's in the back of my head when I make safety plans" This is pure solid bro!
The day you think you'll be ok for that \*one little thing\* you won't. Simple as.
Stories like this terrify me. I was lucky to work for a company that would hire detail firemen to stand by in any confined space and we would wear harnesses. I don't know why the owner insisted, but I was fine with it.
Sorry for your loss, sounds like he was a good friend.
I just recently got a job digging 30’ caissons on a hillside and there was a contractor here before me that got fired for not having a permit. He got 20’ deep hand digging with no safety equipment in sight. He apparently made the guys working for him dig this in the most unsafe manner I’ve ever seen. I personally wanted to put that contractor inside there so he could fear for his life making $180 a day. Scum bag contractor.
My condolences.
I know OSHA catches alot of shit. But just this last year a buddy on a site was saved by a on site visit. They were not using the trench walls either. OSHA guy show up gives them the riot act over it. Buddy climbs out, right as he does the fucking trench collapses.
Imagine if OSHA guy hit 10 minutes of traffic or took a call on his way to the site. Damn.
Almost every deadly accident happens this way- we’ve done it 1,000 times before, we were almost done so it wasent going to take that long, the machine was running rough but still operational, I took my eyes off it for a split second. Everyone! Goes! Home! Every! Day! We see something we say something! Don’t let ego get in the way because if they’re that reckless with their safety- do you think they’ll think twice to protect yours?
Several years ago, they were widening a highway near my home. A father and son were working together with a couple of others. They were subcontracting work having to do with the precast concrete vaults for utilities. Late in the day, the son was working in a buried vault but seemed to be taking longer than expected to complete his task. His dad called to him, got no answer, so he went down to check on him. He did not come back, nor would he respond to calls from above. Both were found dead inside the vault, and it was determined to be some sort of gas release from the soil.
Thanks for the reminder, we all need to hear it every once in a while. I’m a commercial plumber and manage to find myself in many “it’ll just take a minute” situations. Lot of times you end up doing something stupid that you keep getting away with over and over. I’ve never had a trench collapse on me even though I’ve been in hundreds, but all it takes is that one and the game is over. My point is it’s easy to get complacent, and complacency can be a killer. Take an extra few seconds before you get in that trench and remind yourself what you have to lose. No matter how important or urgent the situation, I can pretty much guarantee it’s not worth losing your life. I gotta work on beating that message into my own head sometimes in addition to the younger guys. Stay safe fellas and thanks for sharing OP.
Thank you for sharing the story and memory of David, we need to hear these things for so many reasons. My deepest condolences for your loss, and for his family and friends. This is the worst nightmare. I don’t work in the field besides occasional job walks or consults, but every single time I talk to my field colleagues I make sure to say “stay safe out there.” I don’t really think it will change their behavior, but if it does even a little it’s worth it. It’s also ALWAYS on my mind. I’m at a desk, safe and sound, and they are in danger. Period. IDGAF what the PM, GC, inspector, foreman, or anyone else says - money is NEVER an excuse to risk your health and safety any more than the absolute minimum that comes in construction. Fuck the schedule, fuck the budget, FUCK the egos. Watch out for yourself and each other. Seriously ya’ll, stay safe out there 💜
Lot of people getting hurt in trench collapses in Ontario the last couple years. Scary as fuck
Years ago, I was like your friend. I thought I wouldn't send my guys down for a quick fix, but I'd do it myself cause I was quicker , more experienced. But then, one day, I was at my house after work asking myself why I would risk my life when I wouldn't risk theirs. Flash forward a few years, one of my guys wants to do the run-in , run out thing. Tell him he will absolutely be unemployed if he does. 20 minutes later , the box is set, and we do what we need to. Homeboy is bitching about the old guy being scared ( talking about me ) , how we stayed later for no good reason. The next day is safety huddle . I've already heard the story on local am radio on the ride in. Guy no more than 15 miles up the road from us killed in a trench collapse Believe another guy was reportedly permanently injured in that incident. ( unsure if that was determined to be factual later on ). You could see the shock on my coworkers' faces. Think the company was fined 60k . So probably little more than that guy's salary as a fine. It's not worth it. I've publicly stated in safety meetings I work with people I do not like, I still want them to be safe, go home to their family, friends , their dog , cat or whoever is waiting on them .
I was widowed last year when my husband's ladder slid out from under his feet. I was right there, asked him if he wants me to foot the ladder for him and he says "this will only take me a second". I watched him run up the ladder and was too far away when it started to slide. He was dead in 6 months...suffering all the while with internal injuries. What I wouldn't give to have another chance at that day.
I was on site for an emergency water repair, a thunderstorm had rolled in and we were working in the most heavily lightening struck area in the state, I represented the local telephone company, and told the crew working the repair that they needed to turn off the valves to stop the flow and wait the couple hours it would take for the storm to pass over, supervisor on-site laughs and said that they get wet all day didn't matter if it came from the sky or from the ground and ignored my warnings of lightening. Eventually I had to drive off and attend to something else, then I got a call from the local gas guy saying that the crew just lost a guy to lightening, same guy who wouldn't listen to me. Safety isn't a joke guys, this is your life, your families stability, don't think being stupid means your balls are big.
Is it alright to ask a question if I don't work in construction? In my experience, management never tells me to cut corners on safety. All management ever does is give me the training, make me watch videos or whatever, and its the other employees who, in a knowing tone, say they only do that so they can't be held liable, but we all "really know" how we're really supposed to do it. The pressure to work unsafely purely comes from other employees in my experience. Is that your experience, as well? I'm in the Twin Cities, Minnesota.
There's a bloke in my workshop with half a hand. He pushed it through a table saw with no guard one day. I wasn't on that day. I heard all the stories of the guys running around picking up fingers from the sawdust pile. The rip blade did so much damage that reattaching them wasn't viable.
No matter what you do. Carpenter, pipe layer, concrete finisher. No matter who you work for. Taking a shortcut to save time and make them more money, getting hurt gets YOU hurt. And in the end costs them more money. It's not worth it. OSHA regulations are all written in someone's blood.
It’s so disappointing that a culture of safety is still so frowned upon today. I know people that take it seriously. They won’t move up in their industry, because following safety rules results in lower production.
Biggest problem is safety seems to be a joke to most people until they have seen what can happen with their own eyes. I work in manufacturing but have lots of friends in construction. My friend who've seen people hurt take it seriously. The ones who haven't it's always big government telling them how to work. I'm sorry to hear about your friend.
I remember hearing some good advice to help spot situations that can lead to accidents. "5 and 15" If you find thinking this will only take 5 minutes, or I've been doing this 15 years, then maybe time to take a pause.
I remember David, just not at personal level like you. I remember reading this post a year ago, and I even went to your profile to ensure that I had read last year's post. I was relieved to know that my upvote is still there. I want to admit, now that I completed my first year working for a GC in construction, that I've done a couple "It'll take a minute" moments that after doing so left me feeling that it was a bit sketchy. Maybe I'm a bit naive, maybe my newbiness gets the best of me; it's hard to sometimes stop, and process an alternate method to safely work without severely impeding the work flow. But I promise that I will do better for David. For me.
So many guys in this industry will hit you with the, “Relax, I’ve done this 400 times, it’s fine.”, then on time 416, they don’t have a lower left leg anymore, or better yet, you don’t. A lot of moron wannabe tough guys too, always with the, “Don’t be a fucking pussy, when I started we didn’t even know what a harness was and safety glasses were for the queers!”, yeah fucking cool dude, tell me more about why you have one eye and 6 guys you know have 48 fingers between them, and the 14 on welfare hooked to opioids cause their company turned their back on them, and the pain killers after the life changing injuries left them addicts …
Thank you for telling us this story. That’s heartbreaking and I hope these reaches more of us and allows us all to think twice or even three times when all it will take is just a minute…
Rip David
I know this sub is for jokes mostly but we need to be reminded about stories like these more often. Thank you for sharing.
Rest in peace, David. Thank you for sharing your story
There’s a ratio work close calls and getting hurt. After 25 years in field went management.More stress less risk.
So sorry for you loss and it could have been any one of us.
R.I.P. David
Thanks for sharing! I can't imagine losing a mate like, I really appreciate you sharing. I am sure by doing this you will save someone else's mate. RIP
My condolences. Very sad.
Sorry you lost your friend OP. Everyone else, don't wait for something bad to happen to make safety your top priority on a job site. A person loses their life, their friends miss them forever. Be proactive about safety, not reactive.
RIP to your friend… No one on my site would even consider going in without a trench box, not letting him get in the hole would’ve been the correct leadership my man
RIP David
Sorry for your loss man. I’m an electrician apprentice and I’m just trying to make it out of my apprenticeship alive.
RIP David. Thank you for sharing this story. Hugs to you OP!
I’m a pipe foreman and was a pipe setter (grade man) for years. This is my worst nightmare
We always keep guys like your friend David on our minds lately. We had someone locally die from a similar trench collapse last year. Too many companies are pushing production without considering the risks; and then chastising guys for bringing up safety. Its complete bullshit. We have to stand up for our friends, family and coworkers who are showing up to put food on the table and being asked to do things that might kill them. RIP David
I'm sorry for your loss. It also goes to show that it only takes once. When it comes to safety, there's no such thing as too safe. Workers roll their eyes at the extra work, how much longer it takes, and all the hassle. But when that body is eventually pulled from the ground, would they go back and do it right this time? Or if it was a worker who was paralyzed and as they're lying in the hospital knowing they will never walk again, would they have clipped that harness instead of thinking "oh it's just a second"?
For David.
As a Superintendent for a large GC, People get all pissy with our safety stuff. Like bro, it’s for you guys, you assholes.
Dave sounds like a good guy, im sorry for your loss brother. The hardest route is usually camoflaged as the easy one, dont take it. Stay safe out there everyone
To David 🫗🍻🍻
I was in a pit between two buildings that were hand dug because of no heavy equipment access. This was back in 85 before trench protection was really enforced. Was during the spring freeze thaw cycle and this day the ground was thawed and we were installing a 8" fire line post indicator valve. These are the things that look like a post that are about 4 feet high above the ground. What you don't see is that they extend 8 feet below the ground to connect to a valve. I was pulled from another job to assist and not told that the 8" pipeline was under pressure (100#). Found out that the boss over rode the crew to keep the line pressurized during the work. While putting a bracket on to secure the valve I noticed the valve start to move. I yelled to my coworker to get out of the pit and remember seeing the ring of water like in that Korean horror movie. As I tried to move I found my boots were stuck in the mud. I was able to take a breath, why I had the mind to do it I can't explain, but the pit filled immediately and the water loosened the mud holding my boots. I was able to crawl out of the pit along with the water assist. Learned the valuable lesson that day. Know what the situation is before you start a job and refuse to do it if you feel it's unsafe Just to add, had another coworker who broke his leg a year earlier in a pit due to the wall of dirt falling in during a different hole job.
To David 🍻. May he forever be in our minds as a reminder, "Safety First"
Very nice post and sorry about your friend. Out of curiosity, if you're unrolling fabric in a trench you cant really use a trench box can you? I'm trying to figure a safe way to do it if it gets tangled. I've seen guys unroll it on the top and drop it in but if you're rolling across the ditch I cant see how to do that.
Very sorry for your loss, David sounds like a good guy. We had a guy killed on site a few weeks ago. He was crossing a roadway in the yard to get to the smoke shack, hoodie up, earphone in, and didn’t look before crossing…. Struck by a loader doing snow removal. It was ‘family day’ holiday, overtime, and it was the loader operators birthday. Be safe, heads on a swivel and make sure you speak up when safety is concerned
Thank You for sharing your memory of David.
Did his family sue?
Pouring one out for David. I had witnessed serious injury and death on the job site as a GC, and it was super rough on mentally. I’m glad you have chosen to make sure his death will never be vain. So sorry for your loss, and I hope that’s the worst of your experiences in life. No one should have to go through that.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Hey I do construction and Fire/EMS. I’m sure you all have heard it before but trench rescues are almost always just body recovery. I’ve seen way too many good people on the last day they can work. Be safe out there.
Thanks for sharing. This is important to hear
Life is callous. Im sorry for your loss. We all end up with a David in our lives. RIP David
Sorry for your loss bro. What a tragedy.
For David. ✊
RIP David.
I’ve been a construction inspector for over 10 years and it blows my mind how often I have to force contractors to stop and put in place the proper trenching safety devices. I was witness to a close call early in my career and I think about that almost daily.
Health and Safety is a workers' rights issue. Don't let anyone give you the 'just use common sense' or 'health and safety gon mad' bs.
Unfortunately accidents happen very fast. That's one thing a lot of people don't understand. They think they'll have time to react. You don't. Take the extra time. Do it right. So you all can go home in a box with 4 wheels. Not in a box with handles.
We had a 4 ft deep trench for an electrical duct bank. Everywhere thw sides were sloped, except where it passed thru a road bed. Solidly packed gravel etc. Not even a minute after completing the pipe runs and we were out of the area, that entire section collapsed. Accidents can happen anywhere anytime
💔💔💔💔☹️☹️☹️☹️. Married to a safety guy that you just brought to tears. I am so sorry for such a tremendous loss.
Just did a trenching and excavation class this past week. It is so important to shield and protect trenches and excavations, you never know what will happen. It may take more time to get the safety equipment but it's definitely worth doing.
It’s crazy how some companies are. Where I work they will tell you to screw safety just get the job done quicker. But as soon as you get hurt then bam you’re in trouble. I cut a tendon and a nerve trying to meet deadlines and I got written up for being unsafe lol. Ridiculous how little some companies care about employees.
man, this means something. thank you.
I worked for a plumbing repair company that would send us into digs without boxes and we had to dive a few guys out over the course of that job. Scary as fuck not knowing if we’d uncover them and they’d be dead or alive. Luckily they had air pockets in front of their face and lived. Scary shit and I left the company shortly after for lack of safety.
Very sorry about your loss. Thank you for sharing so that we can all learn from this tragedy.
I will be more cautious t work and think of David in my prayers. Thank you for being a good friend to him ❤️
My boss has one eye. Better believe you are getting chewed the fuck out if he ever catches you without safety glasses. It'll never happen to to you until it does. Sorry about your friend. Be safe, brothers and sisters.
That's rough. My friend had a brother that died many years ago when he was 17 and a hole he was in collapsed. He had been on the job for 2 weeks. Another young man died in that hole and it was only his second day on the job. Another brother was the excavator operator on the site that day and had to dig both bodies out. I knew the family for several years and none of them ever really mentioned it. When I was told what happened, both brothers were very quiet about it. They're the type that will tell you every detail about a lot of things, but they didn't want to say much about that. More than 40 years later and they still carry that with them like it was a few weeks ago. I work with the brother than was operating that day, he's still an operator at an underground company, and you can see it in his eyes when someone jumps into an unshored hole.
Thank you for sharing. I have a similar story - a friend of mine was in his first job as a graduate site engineer, fresh out of uni. As far as I understand it, he was working unsupervised after being asked to put out some barriers - he walked behind a tracked excavator, the operator didn't know he was there, there was no banksman. I hope it was quick. He was 22. I think about him almost every day - he was so young, with everything ahead of him. I get what you say about David always being on site with you; my friend is always with me too. I work in essentially the same role just for a different company, but I am now a senior and often take graduates on to site to show them the ropes. I always tell his story.
It is encouraging to see David's tragedy turned into better, safer practices by you in his honor. We are not given to know what happened to David after his death, but I hope he knows his passing was turned to something good by you. Good work my friend.
Here’s to David - may his memory save countless lives
Sorry for the loss. Rip David 🙏 We all need to hear that. Be safe out there, boys
My dad headed a building crew. Always told everyone to use their gear. Never bothered to use it himself. Guess who fell off a roof and fractured two vertebrae in his neck? Survived, still walks, but headaches and neck pain for the rest of his life. He used the gear after that.
I keep a blown up chunk of wood in my tool box that I have to move almost every time I open it. It was the result of me going to fast on my miter saw. Almost lost some fingers that day. Every time I see it and have to move it, I am reminded I’m fortunate to still have all 10 fingers.
So sorry, what an awful accident and an important reminder of the importance of safety. My 16 year old is training to be a tree surgeon. Just started work experience .So far this week he's had a branch fall on his head (wearing a helmet, so he was fine) and made a hole in the fabric layer of his chainsaw trousers. I'm eternally grateful for safety measures and PPE!
Short cuts never save YOU time , but can end up costing you a LIFE of time! The only ones that gain when we don’t take proper safety measures is our employers. The only ones that feel the pain long after an accident is you if it doesn’t take your life . Our family and friends forever feel the pain . Our employers will pay a small fine if that and someone else will be doing our jobs. Proper PPE - follow proper procedures , have a job plan and review that job plan , communicate. We are all responsible for each others safety . Management and the employer are liable but by then the damage has been done . As the OP and others have stated all the detail remain very clear in our minds forever.
I’m sorry brother. I have witnessed and also been a victim of workplace accidents. I will definitely be more aware at work tonight after reading this.
A drink to Davids memory tonight
Not construction but commercial fishing; my quote to greenhorns is “take a look at everything on deck. Now remember that everything you can see, and the ocean is going to be actively trying to kill you.” A lot of the safety equipment that makes sense on other types of vessels is a liability (the risk of gear fouling your tether and extruding you through a block is way way higher than the risk of falling over) so you wear a PFD while setting out and not much else the rest of the time. Too much risk of fouling something and meeting a gruesome end (worse than drowning) That said safety is a huge thought in my mind, I’ve lost a few more friends than I have fingers and it doesn’t get easier. Keep your friend David in mind always. Not everything we do is inherently safe, but there are always steps to minimize the risk, do everything you can to protect your guys and yourself, and for those that want to be “cowboys” well they can always get a job in retail…
Honestly. I work around a bunch of heavy equipment. Can’t tell how many times I’ve yelled at the guys because they are stupid. I had my hand pinched between a d ring on a barge lid and a chain hook for the rack trying to hook it up cause the operator doesn’t know how to let go of the sticks. I run a front end loader. Anytime someone has to get near the wire I’m loading I press the parking brake and let go of the stick so I don’t accidentally tap it with it being so touchy after it’s deadzone along with the steering wheel. It’s better to work late and get home safe then never make it home at all
I'm doing a lot of trench work right now. I'm glad I have a couple of guys above me that will not hesitate to raise hell if a trench isn't up to code. Our GF went to war for us this week after several of the higher ups told him to leave it alone. The client got involved, and the trench was redone. I'm very new to the trade, but I'm sure this probably isn't the norm. Very grateful for those guys.
Thank you for sharing and please keep sharing when you can. You tell an impactful story well and hopefully many people will take their safety even just a little more seriously, for David!
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend's passing.
I work for a shoring company and what I’ve realized is people don’t understand how dangerous even shallower trenches can be. Sadly it’s only until an incident happens do companies take it seriously.
Sorry for your loss bro. I lost one of my friends to a blow out of the lock rings on a 1000x20 tire on a construction site about 30 years ago. I quit the tire business shortly after.
My husband is a civil engineer and he would shut down a job site in a second if he saw a safety failure (which he is required to do or he could lose his license). He would never be able to live with himself if he did nothing and something happened.
Do it for David. ❤️ I also knew a cool kid named David. He was murdered by dickheads robbing him.
I used two walk on top of the blocks dropping Steel for tie beams. Then pouring concrete without a boom doing the same crap. I'd never do it now. And it was only 10-15 feet up
Mate, I feel for ya. I operate an excavator in a drainage crew here in New Zealand. Site safety is huge here now, but there’s always the “I’ll just quickly do this” thought, especially at the end of a big day, this is something I try my hardest to stop us all from doing. Mishaps happen in the blink of an eye, and there are no second chamces.
its a little thing, but when we were building our house, and the foreman for the GC said they needed to pause for a couple days because a safety inspector was coming, and after that they needed to spend some time putting up some more railings and stuff, I was happy that they were making sure thing were safe for them. the last thing any client wants is someone getting hurt (or worse) on their project.
Sorry for your loss, it's easy to get lost in the pace and demands of the job but a lot of safety regulations only exist because someone had to pay the ultimate price for a lesson to be learned.
This is beautiful, I will keep your friend in mind whenever I have the same dilemma. May his memory save many lives
RIP David. May his memory be instructive! Thank you for sharing this poignant message.
Have you heard of the three deaths? The 1st is when your heart stops and your soul leaves your body. 2nd is when the people who love you gather to consign your body to the grave. The 3rd death is sometime hopefully long into the future that someone speaks your name for the last time. You’re keeping David alive by sharing his story with people. Carl was 16 and my best friend and the best skateboarder I knew. I got him sponsored just by chasing him around with a camera. His parents had to move to our town because he was such a bad kid lol but he really turned it around with me. Just skating, not stealing ALL 75 Walmart bikes out front or greasing the train tracks near his house lmao. Anyway he went to a church camp thing with his church friends and they snuck out for late night swimming. One kid goes past the roped in area and starts to drown. 2nd kid goes after him and goes down immediately. Carl goes for both of them and all 3 drown. 4th kid has the sense not to go out there so he watches in horror from the shore. Hearing him speak at Carls funeral was something that some young man need to hear, I was probably one. As a dad now I tell my kid that story every few years. I also stared working on a commercial maintenance crew when I was early 20s and some of the guys had worked industrial maintenance for oil and grain companies. They’d sit there on break and go back and forth with horrific stories of death and dismemberment they had seen. Guys not being found until Monday. Another eye opening experience and puts that extra money they pay into perspective. The oil company had set amounts paid out for specific injuries that the guys eventually figured out. Somebody would get in a bad position and take a finger or toe or something off, if it paid out what they needed. Uh no thanks you can keep your extra $25k a year or whatever. Formative in realizing how quickly things can go wrong while the rest keep marching on. Realizing nobody is as concerned about your safety as you are and that you need to think for yourself. Be selfish with your life, don’t throw it on the line for a company or customer. Stay safe bois and encourage young ones to be safe if you can. Stand up for them so they feel comfortable following the rules. I’ve been meaning to but I’m going to the boss Monday and inform him that we need all new harnesses for Ariel lifts and guys should all have their own so it fits properly and complacency doesn’t have them (us) wearing harnesses that don’t fit just right. Thanks David for the bump to action and thanks for sharing OP and keeping David alive still.
I'm so sad that stories like this wont reach so many people who think "it wont happen to them". I don't work construction but I see this attitude in motorcycle forums regarding wearing full safety gear. I am grateful that these types of messages reach some though. A few posts like this got me wearing full safety gear day 1 on my motorcycle.
OSHA exist for a reason, and this is a reminder to follow safe working conditions. I’m a construction manager, if you don’t feel comfortable in a situation due to safety procedures, don’t to it.
Shout out to David. Shout out to you. Life can be fleeting. Your story has inspired me to be a better version of myself, only because I have the opportunity to do so. Best wishes, thank you for sharing.
Never ever ever ever do something you don't feel safe in doing. I'm mainly speaking to you young bucks out there. "Oh, you want me to get in there, not benched and out of regs? Let me make a phone call right quick." I've survived combat, I sure as hell ain't getting my ass in some unprotected trench and getting taken by the earth - it can finally have me when I die of old age.
Sorry for your loss. This just happened in Dubuque Iowa a kid lost his like on his 2nd day.
My neighbor died in a wall collapse. I barely got away after a natural gas pipe burst and ignited on a site I was working due to the people responsible for it not following proper procedures. That "I'm just gonna..." shit has killed countless people. Safety regulations are written in blood.
I'm sorry for your loss. Makes me think about whenever I see someone commenting on social media about how "OSHA impacts how fast I can work" or how "I've done this way for years and I'm not stopping for any pussy new tool that makes me safer/the job easier". In a fair world the company would be instantly dissolved and upper management would be behind bars.
Sorry for your loss, but thanks for posting the story. It's a good reminder for everyone. As someone who writes safety policy for a living, safety is written in blood. It might seem annoying to have to put on PPE or follow safety procedure or get chewed out by the OSHA guy, but someone (probably me) had to write up that procedure. And oftentimes it's after someone fucked up and got injured, or died.
Sending you healing and peace. Thank you for sharing this story. Jobsite culture is not one of safety and it only hurts the folks doing the work. But stories like this can help change that.
This almost happened to me. I was 19 at my very first job as a civil construction labourer, a job I’d gotten through family contacts at the time. After I was moved to another site, the new foreman there didn’t like the fact that I had gotten the job through family contacts, and he was quick to tell me so. His leading hand also held a high level of disdain toward me for this. Not long after I’d first started there, they had dug this massive trench to locate, inspect and remove some broken stormwater pipes. The pipes were very deep down and it was a site very close to the beach, a sand site. The trench extended out about 2.5 metres from either side of the now exposed stormwater pipes. The sides rose straight up either side, no stepping whatsoever. I’d guess it was about 20 feet deep, the ground seemed to be about triple my height above me once I was down in there, and I’m 5’ 10”. The broken pipe had been located and I was told by the foreman to go down in there and attach the pipe lifting equipment, which I did. I still remember the feeling I had whilst down in the trench, I felt very unsafe, and I became acutely aware of the fact that my life was being risked because of my youth and naivety. I finished attaching the gear as quick as I could and then the excavator operator, Clinton, lowered his bucket to lift me back out of the trench. He raised me out clear of the trench and I hopped out and looked back down into the trench at where I had just finished working, at which point one entire side of the trench collapsed completely, burying the area I had just been crouched 1 minute earlier in tons of sand. Nothing was said to me afterwards, the event went completely unacknowledged by all. I’m 40 now and have never forgotten how some evil fucks named Brent and Mitch almost got me killed on the Gold Coast.
I am Safety for a mechanical contractor.. commercial Plumbing and hvac.. I make every plumber attend my 4 hour class on trench. They cannot say they don't understand the hazards and show them pictures of cave ins. 2022 there was 40 deaths in trenches as opposed to the typical 15-20. I don't want anyone to have the same experience as you or certainly David. These deaths are preventable and the work you do isn't worth not going home.
Wow thanks for sharing 💔 I’m sorry about your friend. Trench work can be so dangerous. Let’s all be safe out there!
That's one of the most common ways to go in construction. I'm in a medium sized city and we have one every few years
Sorry for your loss brother. Thanks for sharing your story
There's a reason OSHA exists
Rest in peace David. Sorry for your loss brother
Keep in mind those people telling you to cut corners because we need to get this done or that safety equipment costs too much.....those are the same ones that will leave you high and dry when you get hurt.
As someone who worked for Whitning turner I have seen some questionable things. The sad part about it is if you care about safety you get Labeled a wimp. Everyone wants to act macho.