Plumbing trench collapses, tragically kills Jeremiah Brown in Missouri

JACKSON COUNTY. Mo.— A plumbing trench collapsed Dec. 29 in Grain Valley and killed 47-year-old Jeremiah Brown.

Located in the 600 block of Southwest Hillsdale Drive, the 10-foot trench collapsed on Brown at about noon while he was working to install residential plumbing lines for Kingsville-based Preferred Plumbing Inc.

Crews tried to rescue Brown but switched to recovery efforts after about 30 minutes of searching. Brown’s body was recovered at about 7:30 p.m.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the collapse. OSHA has not conducted any prior investigations pertaining to the plumbing company, according to local reports.

Commentary concerning the accident killing Jeremiah Brown

I have read further reports on this tragic death, and I am saddened to learn Mr. Brown left behind a family. There is no greater pain than losing a husband, father, and son in an unexpected accident. I extend my deepest condolences to those left behind and hope for their solace during this difficult time of grief.

I have seen a number of trench-related accidents come across my desk the past couple of months. The details are always deeply disturbing. I am somewhat surprised at how often these accidents occur. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has promulgated stringent rules and regulations designed to protect construction workers engaged in various trenching activities. As an attorney, my natural instincts ask whether these rules were being followed. This information will generally be supplied by OSHA once its investigation has been completed.

Regardless of what happened leading up to this accident, I hope those reading this article will be more cautious, more mindful, and better prepared to help prevent accidents like this from happening in the future. Again, I extend my sympathy to Mr. Jeremiah Brown’s family as they grapple with the aftermath of such a tragic loss.

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