A 32-year-old Houston man named Rigoberto Ochoa Gonzalez has been identified as the worker who was killed when a trench collapsed in Rosenberg.
The accident occurred on Wednesday, February 12, on Farm-to-Market Road 2218 between Bryan and Danziger Roads.
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Preliminary reports suggest that there were three workers, including Gonzalez, working in the 8-foot-deep trench. They were laying lines when the collapse occurred. Two of the men were able to escape, but Gonzalez was stuck and could not escape.
When a worker is in a trench, it is important that a trench box is used to help prevent the dirt and mud (if it has rained) from falling inward on top of workers. According to reports, there is speculation that the proper safety precautions were not being taken while working in the trench.
The Fort Bend County Technical Response Team reported as one of the almost 30 first responders who came to the site to help try and remove Gonzalez from the trench.
Despite the efforts of the first responders and other emergency personnel, Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Rosenberg Police Department has reached out to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for an investigation into the safety of the worker’s work environments. Anytime there is a work-related injury or poor safety conditions, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration must be qualified.
If it is found that the men were working without a trench box and it was because of negligence on the part of their employer, then the Occupational Safety and Health Administration could cite the company and require them to pay fines if the citation is serious enough.
Everything revolving around this accident, including the moments leading up to the collapse as well as what happened after, are all still considered an ongoing investigation.