Duty of Care

On Tuesday afternoon, October 6, 2026, a 39-year-old man died after being trapped in a trench at a job site on Texas 62, south of Interstate 10, in Orange County, Texas, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office as reported by the Orange Leader.

Deputies were called at about 3:38 p.m. The sheriff’s office said the man was working in a previously excavated trench when the sides collapsed and trapped him under a large amount of dirt. Workers at the site freed him before emergency crews arrived, and City of Orange firefighters and paramedics performed lifesaving measures before he was taken to a Beaumont hospital, where he died. KOGT reported the land was being developed for a new RV park. The man’s name, the employer, and whether a protective system was in place had not been reported.

For construction crews, the open trench is the defense question: protect every cut 5 feet or deeper before entry, have the competent person inspect it each shift and after changes, and keep rescue plans from depending on co-workers digging by hand in an unprotected trench.

• Orange Leader
• KOGT