WINDSOR, Colo. (AP) - The deaths of two Colorado workers have highlighted one of the most hazardous construction industry accidents.
The Coloradan reports the men died inside a collapsed trench in Windsor despite a seven-hour effort by 60 first responders at a job site about 17 miles (27 kilometers) from Fort Collins.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration last year announced its priority to reduce trenching and excavation accidents after 23 workers were killed nationally in 2016, with another 32 in 2017 and 2018.
It’s unclear whether safety devices were in the 15-foot-deep (about 5 meters) trench. A metal shelter called a trench box wasn’t present, although it wasn’t immediately apparent if the conditions required one.
The Greeley Tribune reports the men were identified as 26-year-old Cristopher Ramirez, of Boulder, and 41-year-old Jorge Valadez, of Denver.
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Information from: Fort Collins Coloradoan, http://www.coloradoan.com
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