Two Construction Workers Die in Stockton Trench Collapse as Cal/OSHA Opens Investigation

City permit records tie the work at the La Tapatia site to TJ Construction, prompting a multi-month Cal/OSHA inspection to determine whether required trench protections were used.

Overview

Stockton firefighters responded early Saturday after a colleague found a collapsed 10-foot trench and later recovered two men who had last been seen Friday evening taking measurements in the hole.
The San Joaquin County Medical Examiner identified the victims as 34-year-old Raul Cristostomo de la Cruz of Lodi and 49-year-old Raul Zepeda of Stockton.
City records show permits for tenant improvements, including a grease interceptor at the La Tapatia supermarket site, were pulled by TJ Construction for work at Hammer Lane and El Dorado Street.
Fire officials said the trench appeared to lack shoring that is meant to prevent wall collapses and that the men may have been trapped for many hours, and Cal/OSHA will lead an inspection that could last up to six months.
Trenching is a well-known high-risk work activity in California with rules that require protective systems for excavations deeper than five feet, and the probe will seek to clarify who hired the workers and whether employers will face citations or corrective orders.