The J Cote and Sons Excavating... Workplace Death. A Trench Collapse

By Mike Pearson
Over 1000 Canadian workers are killed every year. 

 Pipelayer Jeff Caron was killed in a trench collapse on October 11 2012. He was 28 years old. A co-worker, Thomas Richer was badly injured in the very same cave-in.

 The trial against the company, J Cote Ecxavating of Langley BC and foreman David Green did not take place until 12 years had passed.

 12 nightmarish years for the family of Jeff Caron. The points I want to discuss here are... 1. Darn near every trench collapse death and injury is preventable.

 Making good decisions, spending the time and money to ensure worker safety will prevent ugly and traumatic deaths and injuries on construction work sites.

2. At the December 2025 trial, Judge Brundett found three senior officers of J Cote and Sons Excavating, guilty in the the 2012 death of Jeff Caron. 

 Jobsite foreman David Green was found not guilty of separate charges of manslaughter and criminal negligence.

 I disagree strongly with this decision. To paraphrase, the judge said that foreman David Green was not well trained enough nor held enough responsibilty to either make the decision to install a trench box for worker safety...or to stop the work when worker safety was in question.

 Bullshit, I say. David Green had plenty enough experience to know that a trench box, or trench sloping...or..an engineers certificate was required in the trench as deep as the one they were working in. { more on the engineer and certificate later...anothe pile of smelly bullshit}

 I have worked in construction for the bulk of my 50 year career.

 The number one reason that excavating contractors, pipelayers and utility contractors decide to forego safety protocols is ...THEY DONT THINK IT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM. 

 I have heard the actual words being bravely/stupidly uttered....ITS OK, I'LL BE QUICK.
   

 SO, DEATH IN A TRENCH COLLAPSE COMES QUICK...AND THE DIRT DOESN'T CARE WHO YOU ARE!   



WHAT IS A TRENCH BOX ?
  


  I congratulate the BC Prosecutors' Office for being smarter and more aggressive than they were in the Sam Fitzpatrick / Kiewit Corporation workplace death case.

 Hats off to the investigators that pushed ahead to place blame where it belongs in Jeff Caron's very unnecessary workplace death.

 And to the judge, Michael Brundett who carefully sifted through all the information available to him and made a solid forward looking decision that will blaze the trail for future prosecutions of companies that kill workers.

 Judge Brundett...I strongly disagree with your decision to let David Green sidestep the manslaughter and criminal negligence charges....I say ...better luck next time.

 The working foreman is the eyes and ears of the company management and ownership.

 The Engineer. This part of the story muddies the water. I'll let these news stories tell the sad and pathetic tale.
Burnaby workplace death trial: Engineer fined, investigated - Vancouver Is Awesome https://share.google/4gFXc7UiWgoq3gpDu

And other media reporting on the trench collapse and ensuing legal fight.


Burnaby workplace death trial: WorkSafeBC investigator testifies - Vancouver Is Awesome https://share.google/wEEgj1SvbqcUdXnzK

https://share.google/NpxPh24uPdj40fY7v Vancouver Sun A Rare Guilty Verdict in a Worker Fatality Case | The Tyee https://share.google/TK3OaKf1G8UjQOScW


Sentencing for the management of J Cote and Sons Excavating is scheduled for Feb. 26-27 2026 in a downtown Vancouver courtroom.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING UNSAFE....SAY SOMETHING

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