OSHA urges safe trench practices following string of recent collapses, fatalities

Following a recent series of trench collapses in the Midwest, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is urging workplaces to take the necessary steps to safeguard workers from well-known industry hazards that can be prevented when the required protections are used.

Soil can be heavy – one cubic yard can weigh as much as a car – so it is important to know and test the type of soil at every worksite before work begins, OSHA said in a news release. Large amounts of rain can impact soil and significantly increase the weight, causing it to become more hazardous and likelier to collapse.

OSHA stressed the importance to never enter a trench unless you are trained to recognize the hazards and it has been inspected by a competent person. Trench collapses, or cave-ins, can be prevented by taking the following steps:

• SLOPE or bench trench walls at an angle inclined away from the excavation.
• SHORE trench walls by installing aluminum hydraulic or other types of supports to prevent soil movement.
• SHIELD trench walls with trench boxes or other types of supports to prevent soil cave-ins.

See also: Understanding the ‘competent person’ and this critical role

Employers may contact their local OSHA area office for assistance or take advantage of OSHA's free and confidential On-Site Consultation Program.

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