Westar Energy, Inc.
Excavation or trenching cave-in - Crushing injuries - TOPEKA, Kansas
| Employer | Westar Energy, Inc. |
| Address | 17th and Fairlawn |
| City, State ZIP | TOPEKA, Kansas 66601 |
| Report ID | 2016010865 |
| Event Date | January 29, 2016 |
| Outcome | Hospitalized |
| Nature of Injury | Crushing injuries |
| Body Part | Whole body |
| Event Type | Excavation or trenching cave-in |
| Source of Injury | Ditches, channels, trenches, excavations |
| Industry (NAICS) | 221118 |
| Inspection # | 1122354 |
| GPS Coordinates | 39.05000, -95.67000 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
An employee went into a 15-feet-deep trench to test if the cables were energized when the trench collapsed. The employee was crushed by the dirt and was hospitalized.
Incident Summary
On January 29, 2016, a worker at Westar Energy, Inc. in TOPEKA, Kansas suffered crushing injuries to the whole body. The incident was classified as excavation or trenching cave-in, with ditches, channels, trenches, excavations identified as the source of injury. The worker was hospitalized.
Context
OSHA has recorded 91 severe injury reports involving "Excavation or trenching cave-in" incidents in our database. Browse all Excavation or trenching cave-in injuries.
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Other severe injury reports involving Excavation or trenching cave-in events:
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| Nov 13, 2023 | Glen O Hawbaker | SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pennsylvania | Fractures | Hosp. |
| Apr 29, 2020 | Wadsworth Golf Construction Company of the Midwest | FRISCO, Texas | Fractures | Hosp. |
| May 1, 2017 | Old Pal Corporation | AMARILLO, Texas | Fractures | Hosp. |
| Jan 22, 2020 | Duke Energy | ZEPHYRHILLS, Florida | Fractures | Hosp. |
| Dec 15, 2021 | S.E. Cline Construction, Inc. | PALM COAST, Florida | Amputations | Amp. |
| Apr 22, 2022 | Fox Contracting LLC | OMAHA, Nebraska | Soreness, pain, hurt-nonspecified injury | Hosp. |
| Oct 28, 2016 | Kempf Construction, Inc. | BRANDON, South Dakota | Traumatic injuries to spinal cord, unspecified | Hosp. |
| Dec 18, 2021 | RELIABLE BUILDERS, INC. | YIGO, Guam | Traumatic injuries and disorders, unspecified | Hosp. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Workers injured on the job have the right to medical treatment covered by workers' compensation, wage replacement benefits during recovery, and protection against retaliation for reporting the injury. You have the right to file a complaint with OSHA if you believe your workplace is unsafe, and OSHA cannot reveal your identity to your employer without your consent. You also have the right to see your OSHA 300 injury log. If your employer denies a workers' comp claim, you can appeal through your state's workers' compensation board. An occupational health attorney can advise on complex cases involving denied claims or third-party liability.
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About This OSHA Report
This is a severe injury report filed with OSHA. Employers are required to report all work-related fatalities and severe injuries within 8 to 24 hours. Browse more reports by employer, state, or industry below.