Trench Collapse In Howell Sparks OSHA Investigation, Reminder

HOWELL, NJ — An incident June 30 in which a worker was trapped in a collapsed trench at a Howell residential construction site has sparked a new call for safety from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"All New Jersey employers must take the necessary steps to protect workers from trench-related fatalities and accidents." OSHA Area Director Paula Dixon-Roderick, Marlton, said in a news release.

Leni Fortson, OSHA spokesperson, said the agency has "an open investigation" into the incident in which a 26-year-old man was rescued with the help of numerous first responders after he was buried in dirt up to his shoulders and was stuck in the trench for hours.

Fortson said the man worked for the Solid Concrete Walls Co. LLC of 103 N Egg Harbor Road, Hammonton. The owner of the company is George Rizzi, she said.

OSHA initiated its investigation on June 30. The agency has six months to conduct its investigation and release its findings, Fortson said.

The Howell trench was 40 inches x 40 inches, approximately 7 1/2-feet-deep, located in the rear of the basement wall of the house, the news release said. The house was at Carmine Way in Howell.

"A trench can quickly become an early grave if the proper protection is not utilized.” said Dixon-Roderick.

The rescue, she said, "should be a strong reminder for employers to take the proper precautions. OSHAs message to employers is simple: Slope it, Shore it and Shield it."

In 2020 to 2021, OSHA documented 20 deaths and injuries related to trenching and excavation. The leading cause for these fatalities was ion adequate cave-in protection.

"These tragic worker deaths have long-lasting impacts on the workers’ families, co-workers, and communities," the news release said.

For the worker in Howell, there was a major response from area authorities and he was saved unharmed.

First responders from around the Monmouth County and Ocean County areas helped rescue him from the trench, according to a news release last week from Det. Sgt. Peter Kuppler of the Howell Police Department.

The man was trapped in a hole about 10 feet into the ground for three hours. He was surrounded by dirt up to his shoulders.

There was a language barrier between the victim and rescuers, but Howell Police EMS EMT Valerie Deano was able to reassure the victim and communicate with him in Spanish, the news release said.

Howell Township Police Sergeant Paul Mazzeo, a trench collapse expert, arrived on scene and immediately began shoring up the hole. Mazzeo is also a trench collapse and rescue specialist with the Brick Township Technical Rescue and New Jersey Task Force 1 (A Federal FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team). He requested a trench rescue unit from the Asbury Park Fire Department and the Brick Township Technical Rescue Team to respond to the scene.

After about three hours, the victim was extricated from the collapse. He was assessed on the scene by first aid and paramedics. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune as a precaution. Two rescuers were treated at the scene for minor injuries related to the rescue, police said.

All responding units had a direct impact with preventing a fatality during this incident, police said last week.

The following agencies had been requested to assist in the rescue:

• Howell Township Police Department
• Howell Police EMS
• Howell Township First Aid Squad
• Freewood Acres Fire Department
• Southard Fire Department
• Howell Township Department of Public Works
• Monmouth County Public Works
• Howell Township Office of Emergency Management
• Atlantic Health Paramedics
• Asbury Park Fire Department
• Brick Township Technical Rescue Team.