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Safety Corner
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Trenching a
nd e
xcavation work can be one of the most deadly environments
found in the construction industry. And did you know the fatality rate for excavation work is 112% higher than the rate for general construction? This fact should beg the question...are you taking the necessary precautions to protect your employees when they work in or around trenches and excavations?
OSHA requires that workers in trenches and excavations must be protected, and that safety and health programs address the variety of safety hazards they face. Pre-job planning
is vital to accident free trenching and excavating. A competent person must be responsible for the trenching and excavation program. The competent person therefore should have training in the flowing areas: Soil analysis, protective systems, knowledge of the applicable OSHA Standards and must have the authority to
immediately eliminate hazards to protect the lives of the workers.
Cave-ins are the primary cause of death when working in trenches. How are you going to avoid the da
ngers of cave-ins at your job-site? Protective systems in accordance with
29 CFR 1926.652
must be provided in trench work greater than 5 feet in depth unless the competent person can determine through examination of the soil that there is no
potential for cave-in. What protective systems do you utilize to prevent cave-ins?
Specific standards are in place to address the inspections of trenches and excavations. Excavations and trenches should be inspected daily and prior to when construction work begins. Inspections should also occur as needed throughout the day, as well as after rainstorms and other hazard increasing events such as heavy equipment operating nearby or high winds.
There is much more to the trenching and excavation standard. Getting to know the requirements can help you avoid sending your employees to an early grave. Make sure that trenches are protected from cave-ins by sloping trench walls, shoring trench walls with supports or shielding trench walls with trench boxes. Protect workers by providing safe entry and exit through the use of ladders, ramps or stairways. Keep all equipment, materials and spoil piles at least 2 feet back from trench edges, and know where all underground utilities are located before digging.
For more information on Trenching and Excavations, or other construction industry safety questions or concerns, please contact PGM Safety Services, an affiliate company of Pro Group Management, and we will be happy to assist you at (800) 859-3177.
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