Gerald Lyle Thompson

Gerald Lyle Thompson’s work-related death could have been prevented. That’s how I see the findings of Minnesota OSHA (MN-OSHA) in the agency’s citations against his employer, DSM Excavating. The 51 year-old was working in June 2015 at a construction site for Ryland Homes in Lakeville, Minnesota. The initial press reports indicated that Thompson and his brother were installing drain tile inside a 6 to 8 foot deep trench. Thompson was trapped at the bottom of the trench when the soil collapsed onto him. I wrote about the incident shortly after it occurred. Inspectors with MN-OSHA conducted an…
Gerald Lyle Thompson, 51, suffered fatal traumatic injuries on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 while working in Lakeville, Minnesota for DSM Excavating. KSTP reports: His employer, DSM Excavating was hired by Ryland Homes for the excavation project. The trench in which Thompson was working caved in on him. The Star-Tribune reports: Thompson and his brother were “installing drain tile on the perimeter of a lot…when the trench collapsed ...” The trench was 6 to 8 feet deep and Thompson was trapped at the bottom of it when the soil collapsed onto him. The Dakota County Special Operations team recovered…