CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY)– A construction worker is hurt following an industrial accident in Chesapeake.
According to officials, fire crews were called to a construction site in the 900 block of Battlefield Boulevard at 8:45 a.m. for the report of an injured worker. Construction was being done for new apartments when contractors were placing a storm drain infrastructure inside a 10-foot-deep trench.
During the operation, a worker injured their lower and was unable to safely exit the trench without assistance. Fire crews implemented a low-angle rescue system and utilized a Stokes basket to carefully remove the worker from the trench.
Emergency responders from the Chesapeake Fire Department arrived to find the worker trapped below ground level and in significant pain. Because of the depth and confined nature of the trench, standard extraction was not possible. Crews established a rope-and-pulley low-angle rescue system designed for construction environments and stabilized the surrounding area to prevent soil movement.
Specially trained personnel then lowered a Stokes basket — a rigid rescue stretcher — into the excavation. The method allowed firefighters to secure the worker while keeping first responders protected from potential collapse or shifting equipment. Authorities said the procedure followed established trench-rescue protocols used across Hampton Roads construction sites.
The worker was successfully removed at 9:08 a.m. and transferred to a waiting medic unit for treatment. The worker was later transported to a local hospital.
No other injuries were reported.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating this incident. Federal inspectors are expected to review trench protection measures, contractor safety plans and whether proper safeguards were in place during the storm-drain installation. Trench work is considered one of the most hazardous activities in construction, with regulations requiring protective systems such as shoring, shielding or sloping for excavations deeper than five feet.
Local officials said the apartment project will remain under review while investigators gather statements from witnesses and site managers. Results of the OSHA inquiry could take several weeks and may determine whether any citations or corrective actions are required.
Originally reported by Dana Hazzard in Wavy.
.png)
