Construction Worker Falls 15 feet into a Trench

The Bakersfield Californian reported that on January 6th, a construction worker fell 15 feet into an open trench. Apparently, he slipped while walking along the edge of the trench.

As safety people, we are usually very concerned about the dangers of trench collapses and injury to people working in the trench or excavation. This incident highlights another significant trenching hazard. I have spent a lot of time trying to get site personnel to understand the importance of barricades, stop logs, etc. to protect people and vehicles (like forklifts) from accidentally entering the open excavation. Well, I guess it's not so rare that a pedestrian worker accidentally falls into the trench.