One Dead in Washington, D.C. Construction Accident

A construction worker was fatally injured in Northwest Washington, D.C. when a 20-foot deep trench collapsed.

Details of the Fatal Trench Collapse

According to WJLA, the incident occurred Tuesday morning in the 4600 block of Dexter Street, NW.

Authorities responded to free the man but were unable to save him. His body was recovered the following day.

The man was working on a construction site for a new home when the accident occurred.

Authorities have not determined what caused the trench to collapse. The incident remains under investigation.

Construction Accident Statistics

The following information was provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):

• 4,836 workers were killed on the job in 2015 – an average of more than 93 deaths a week or about 13 deaths each day.
• Of the workplace deaths recorded in 2015, 4,379 occurred in private industry and 937 were linked to construction.
• The leading causes of construction-related deaths were:
  • Falls
  • Struck by object
  • Electrocutions
  • Caught-in/Between