Trench Collapse Dangers

In the news, 2 men died when a 15-foot trench collapsed, trapping and suffocating them. When working in trenches there’s always a risk of collapse, but there are many tools and standards that will help. Knowledge will always protect those in trenches. OSHA’s standards on trench safety is a gold mine of knowledge and will keep everyone safe.

2 Feet

Two feet is a magic number when it comes to trench safety: it’s the minimum safe distance to keep everything away from the trench. The two-foot distance relieves stress that’s on the excavation from equipment. The 2-foot distance also helps keep materials like rocks, pipes, and till piles from creating a hazard.

4 Feet

Four feet is another magic number when it comes to trench safety: it’s the depth where a means of egress is needed. Excavations that are 4 feet deep require a means of egress every 25 feet.  A mean of egress is a ladder or a portion of the excavation that is benched.

5 Feet

Five feet is another magic number for trench safety: it’s the minimum depth you can dig with shielding or shoring. When using a trench box, shielding or shoring workers must stay within the engineered safety area or the box. If you are using a sloped trench and then add in shielding or shoring at the bottom, the shoring must extend 18 inches above the vertical walls.

Tools

When working with trenches, there are many tools that can help save lives. One of these is benching or sloping. The use of sloping or benching is making the walls of the excavation less than vertical or 90°.  The difference between sloping and benching is with benching the walls are dug to be like a set of stairs.

Another great tool to keep workers safe is the use of shielding or shoring: the use of metal or wood to secure the walls of the excavation from collapse. The difference between shielding and shoring is that shoring uses cross members that use hydraulic or pneumatic jacks to apply pressure to secure the excavation.

Conclusion

Make sure you are following all the OSHA Requirements and using the correct tools for the job. Training on trench safety is crucial to having a safe excavation site.

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