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CEDAR RAPIDS — Working in and around trenches — or any hole that is deeper than it is wide — can be an almost daily occurrence if you work in construction, according to Weston Platz, a Cedar Rapids firefighter who used to work for a construction company.

Trenches are used to do work on septic lines, water lines or any other utility that goes in the ground, Platz said. Usually, they’re safe. Construction companies following best practices have multiple safety features in place to prevent a trench from caving in and to protect workers from significant harm if it does.

Every once in a while, though, something will go wrong and a worker may find themselves stuck in the bottom of a trench, buried

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