With structure projects, there are multiple hazards on a job site. Let’s look at two of the most dangerous tasks: trenching and digging.
In 2022, another 39 people died while doing excavation or trenching work in the United States, according to the Department of Labor. This figure is more than double that of 2021.
Following the alarming rise in the number of fatalities, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) introduced a protective crusade around trenches and excavations. Working directly with employers and agencies, they have conducted on-site inspections and, in some states, helped pass legislation that expands fines for employers who fail to comply with protective protocols.
There are protective hazards at a trenching and excavation site, but cave-ins are the most serious hazard and the one most likely to cause fatalities, according to OSHA. A cubic meter of soil can weigh as much as a car. If workers are positioned in a trench just as it collapses, it can be simply catastrophic.
Regardless of the security issue, reducing the number of incidents depends on your proactivity with safety measures. A forward-thinking technique not only protects your workers, but also minimizes the monetary and legal liabilities related to those incidents.
As an employer, it is your duty to take appropriate measures for the protection of your workers in a workplace. Here are 3 key tactics to lessen the threat of collapse and lessen the threat of worker injury or death.
Because of the excessive danger that presents itself in these task sites, it is advisable to start taking precautions even before a task begins. A large part of this process involves checking the condition of the soil in the workplace. If situations aren’t ideal, it’s probably not sending your workers into a trench.
There are 4 classifications of soils that vary in stability: wrought rock, A, B, and C.
A competent user (someone who is able and experienced in identifying hazards) assesses the soil for a day or two and when situations are replaced. Things on a job site can be replaced quickly, especially after rain, storms, vibrations, or other occasions that can affect construction. detect hazards. At a minimum, a visual check and a manual check are required. OSHA describes what the evaluator looks for in both checks.
Protection formulas are a key detail to ensure the defense of your excavation site and trenches. They are required for trenches that are more than five feet deep or that are not completely dug out of solid rock. But a competent user deserves to inspect even spaces that do not meet this requirement to determine whether a coverage formula is mandatory. If your personnel are in a trench 20 feet deep or deeper, they will need to have a cover in position formula designed by a licensed professional engineer.
Here are the systems through OSHA:
The type of formula you use will likely depend on the type of soil.
In the event of a collapse, staff have very little time to get to safety. That is why it is also essential to have adequate exits at the excavation site. Ladders will be placed each and every 25 feet of lateral movement. The available ladders not only allow quick egress, but also reduce the threat of personnel jumping into trenches or excavations and injuring themselves.
As with soil situations, a competent user should inspect such cover systems daily and whenever situations change.
While it is your duty as an employer to ensure that proper precautions are taken at an excavation and trench site, it is imperative that workers are trained on precautionary protocols and signs. They will be on the lookout for warning signs and will only enter a trench if:
If a worker is unsure if a trench is safe, check with their manager to see if the required tests have been performed.
You can address the threat of collapse by implementing physically powerful protective measures, conducting extensive soil testing, providing proper training, and maintaining vigilant inspection routines. But those are just some of the key protective measures you want to take. I inspire you to talk to your local experts and consult OSHA’s trenching and excavation resources for additional review.