Bold labels are required.
It's one of the most common causes of worker fatality in the construction industry. A trench caves in, trapping workers under an avalanche of dirt. There is no escape for the trapped workers, and rescue operations invariably arrive too late. However, this type of construction accident is preventable, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). "No worker's life should end in a trench," said Dr. David Michaels, OSHA's assistant secretary of labor. To educate workers, the administration has released three new guidance products:
- "Trenching and Excavation," a fact sheet with an overview of the hazards that occur while working in trenches and the safety measures required to protect workers;
- "Working Safely in Trenches," a guide to trenching hazards and safety practices that includes graphics;
- "Do Not Enter an Unprotected Trench," a poster that informs workers of the steps they must take to ensure safe operations in trenches.
Basic Trenching Safety
OSHA defines a trench as "a narrow underground excavation that is deeper than it is wide and which is no wider than 15 feet." While cave-ins pose the greatest risk, workers also are subject to falls, collapsing loads, hazardous atmospheres and accidents involving heavy equipment. Since 2003, more than 200 workers have died in trench cave-ins and hundreds more have been injured.
Safe trenching begins with proper shoring and sloping. Shoring requires the installation of supports that prevent soil movement. Sloping refers to forming a trench wall that rises up from the excavation at an angle that is less than 90 degrees. In some cases OSHA recommends shielding, which involves using boxes or another type of support to withstand a soil cave-in. Other factors to be considered when designing a safe trench system include soil type, depth of the cut, how much water the soil contains, the weather and the location of underground utilities and heavy equipment.
Trenches that are neither formed in rock nor less than five feet deep are required to have a protective system. Trenches that are more than 20 feet deep are required to have a protective system designed by a registered professional engineer.
Employers' Responsibility For Safety in Trenches
Employers must follow OSHA regulations to protect their workers who work in trenches. The regulations require that that a professional compliance officer must evaluate a trench before workers are allowed into it. This safeguard has saved lives, as on two occasions in the past year inspectors ordered workers out of a trench just minutes before it collapsed.
Unfortunately, employers sometimes will ignore OSHA and other safety regulations. If you have been injured while working on a construction site, contact an attorney. There may be many remedies available to you and an experienced construction accident attorney can advise you on which one is best for your situation.
