Trench collapse site still an ‘active hazard’

Charleroi officials are asking the public to avoid the area as it’s still an active safety hazard.

One week after a contractor was miraculously rescued from a collapsed trench in Charleroi, the site on McKean Avenue remains closed and possibly unstable — and officials are urging the public to stay away.

The dramatic five-hour rescue, which drew crews from five counties and saved a man buried chest-deep in cold clay, is still being hailed as a triumph of coordination, grit and sheer will.

But now, focus is shifting to what went wrong — and who’s responsible for a job that moved forward without permits or proper safety precautions.

“We’re asking residents to avoid the area entirely,” Borough Manager Joe Manning said Wednesday. “It’s still an active hazard, and we’ve secured it as best we can.”

Route 88 northbound remains closed between 8th and 9th streets as PennDOT and federal safety officials investigate the cause of the collapse and determine next steps for stabilization. Jersey barriers have been placed around the trench, but access is still partially open in some spots, especially along the sidewalk.

“PennDOT brought in what barriers they could,” Manning said. “But we’re strongly urging everyone to avoid the area — for their own safety.”

There is no timeline for reopening the road. The borough is awaiting word from Penn-DOT and OSHA to determine who will lead the repair effort.

Tragedy averted

The collapse occurred just after 8:20 p.m. on Thursday outside Davies Ford on McKean Avenue.

A trench roughly 14-feet deep gave way, burying a sewer contractor from the chest down under clay, rock and debris.

For nearly five hours, dozens of firefighters, medic, and rescue crews worked above and below ground to stabilize the site and dig the man out inch by inch.

Miraculously, around 1:30 a.m. Friday, the contractor was freed and walked out of the trench on his own. He was taken to Allegheny General Hospital with injuries including a fractured ankle, a blood clot, and a missing tooth. His name has not been officially released, but family members told WTAE-TV over the weekend he is recovering at home.

Potential citations

While the rescue was a success, the circumstances leading up to the collapse have triggered scrutiny.

The trench was dug by Frontier Heating & Cooling, a contractor hired by Davies Ford to address a sewer line issue. But officials say no sidewalk excavation permit was obtained from the borough, and no Highway Occupancy Permit was filed with PennDOT. Davies said the company did complete a PA1 call prior to starting the work, but he was unable to comment on any permitting. He was unsure if Frontier had hired a third-party contractor who had been working in the trench that evening.

Manning confirmed that Columbia Gas and others had alerted the borough about the trench earlier that same day.

Upon inspection, the borough realized the project was private — and not permitted.

Public works instructed the contractor to stop and obtain the necessary approvals, but they were not obtained prior to the accident.

The borough’s code enforcement officer, Jamie Stasch, has visited the site, taken measurements, and reportedly filed citations with the magistrate.

As of Wednesday evening, nothing was filed in the Pennsylvania judicial online court system against Charles Mrlack, the owner of the company and person who made the PA1 call prior to starting the work.

Manning said the contractor is cooperating, but was not able to provide any new information regarding the investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is standard procedure when there’s a serious workplace accident, especially involving trenching — which is considered high-risk work under federal safety standards.

Under federal regulations, trenching and excavation work must include wall protection, safe access points, and daily inspections. Violations can result in fines up to $16,550 per day.

OSHA does make much of its inspection data public under the Electronic Freedom of Information Act, which includes inspection status (open/closed), employer name and location, nature of the inspection (e.g., complaint, accident, referral), any citations issued, violation descriptions and penalties and fines.

As of Wednesday, the Charleroi trench collapse inspection is likely still open, but records have not been made public online. Citations will not appear until the case is officially processed. Federal OSHA inspections citations may take up to five business days after they’re issued to appear online. For State Plan OSHA inspections it’s generally faster — but still subject to internal processing.

Hands-on response

The scale of the response was massive and is still being applauded.

More than 20 fire departments, multiple EMS agencies, HAZMAT teams, Pennsylvania Search and Rescue, and utility crews from across Washington, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Greene, and Fayette counties responded.

Columbia Gas, West Penn Power, PennDOT, Norfolk Southern, Salvation Army Disaster Services, Bujanowski Towing and the Authority of the Borough of Charleroi (ABC) also supported rescue efforts.

Fire Chief Robert Whiten Jr., who led the coordinated effort, praised the response, noting that even departments that didn’t respond directly — like Stockdale — played a crucial role by standing by and assisting with helicopter landing and backup coverage.

At Wednesday’s council meeting, Council President Kristin Hopkins opened with heartfelt remarks for all involved.

“The best quote I’ve ever heard is that they worked like a well-oiled machine,” she said, referencing Whiten’s earlier comments. “Everyone pitched in and supported not just the victim, but each other. I was absolutely amazed.”

She also gave credit to the borough’s street department, water authority, and partners like the Salvation Army for stepping up in real time.

Councilman Larry Celaschi offered additional praise to Mayor Greg Doerfler, who spent the night working with Bujanowski Towing to help stabilize the excavator.

“He was down there the entire time and one of the last to leave. We’re lucky to have him,” Celaschi said.

Scott Waitlevertch, manager of Government Relations at Columbia Gas, also attended the meeting and wanted to commend the response.

“As a company that works in the ground, we understand the risks,” he said.

Though Columbia Gas was not directly involved, they were on standby Thursday night.

“We’re grateful, and I am sure everyone is, to the men and women who step up in emergencies like that,” he added.