Westar Energy, Inc.

Excavation or trenching cave-in - Crushing injuries - TOPEKA, Kansas

HOSPITALIZED, Worker hospitalized after incident at Westar Energy, Inc. in 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.

See all reports for Westar Energy, Inc..

Similar Incidents

Other severe injury reports involving Excavation or trenching cave-in events:

Date Employer Location Nature Outcome
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.

After an employer reports a severe injury, OSHA decides whether to conduct an on-site inspection. Fatalities and amputations typically trigger automatic inspections. For hospitalizations and eye loss events, OSHA may conduct a phone/fax investigation or an on-site inspection based on the circumstances. During an inspection, OSHA compliance officers assess the accident scene, interview witnesses, review safety records, and identify violations. Citations and penalties may be issued. OSHA also works with the employer to abate hazardous conditions. All inspection results are published in OSHA's public inspection database at osha.gov.

You can file an OSHA complaint online at osha.gov/workers/file-complaint, by calling 1-800-321-OSHA (1-800-321-6742), or by visiting your local OSHA area office. Complaints can be filed anonymously. OSHA prioritizes formal written complaints from workers. If you believe an imminent danger exists, call OSHA immediately, they are required to investigate immediately when there is reasonable grounds to believe imminent danger exists. Workers are protected from retaliation for filing complaints under Section 11(c) of the OSH Act; if you experience retaliation, file a separate complaint within 30 days of the adverse action.

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.

Browse All Injury Reports