Prevent Avoidable Accidents: Trench Safety Stand Down June 14-18
Accidents involving trenches on home building sites pop up in the news from time to time. What is often overlooked or unmentioned is the horrific nature of what happens in a trenching accident: Someone is buried alive. But every trench failure is avoidable with proper planning and trench safety measures.
The National Utility Contractors Association is organizing the annual Trench Safety Stand Down the week of June 14. The stand down gives employers, supervisors and foremen the opportunity to speak directly to workers about trench and excavation hazards.
Since 2011, nearly 40% of all trenching fatalities have occurred at residential construction sites. With proper preparation and adherence to safety protocols, the number of trenching accidents and fatalities could — and should — drop to zero.
Trench collapses, or cave-ins, pose the greatest risk to workers' lives. To prevent cave-ins, jobsites should use OSHA’s “Slope It. Shore It. Shield It.” method:
- SLOPE or bench trench walls
- SHORE trench walls with supports, or
- SHIELD trench walls with trench boxes