Texas Trench Collapse Fatality In Lockhart

By, Robert Box

One construction worker is dead and one was injured in an excavation cave-in about a month ago in Lockhart, Texas. 

Twenty Two-year-old Nathan Fryday of Edna, Texas, was killed when part of the excavation collapsed on the workers.  The other worker was taken to a hospital by medical helicopter.

Mr. Fryday worked for Mercer Construction Company of Edna, Texas, an excavation company specializing in underground utility work.  The crew was working near the intersection of Clear Fork Street and City Line Road in Lockhart, Texas on August 31^st when the incident occurred at approximately 12:30 pm.

According to KXAN news, Dan Sweet, a resident near the scene of the fatality said the crews were digging a water line on Clear Fork Street for homes scheduled to be built.  “I said where was the steel frame you need for safety?  They said they didn’t have one,” says Sweet. 

Mr. Sweet was referring to a trench box, which is used in trenching operations to protect workers from collapsing trench walls that can be surprisingly heavy.  A cubic foot of dirt weighs over 100 pounds and a cubic yard of dirt can weigh more than 3,000 pounds.

According to police, first responders were able to access Mr. Fryday’s body when they arrived on the scene, but during the rescue there was another trench collapse, which delayed rescue.  Nearly four hours following the initial collapse at approximately 12:30, Mr. Fryday’s body was removed from the collapsed trench.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has opened a case and is investigating Mercer Construction Company in matters relating to this incident. 

Safety First Consulting helps businesses identify OSHA compliance issues in their workplaces, manage their safety programs, and we become accountable for the results.  In addition to offering custom written safety programs for companies, Safety First Consulting provides required safety training, industrial hygiene sampling, noise sampling, and workplace inspections.