Tips for Maintaining Trench Safety on Excavation Jobs

Tips for Maintaining Trench Safety on Excavation Jobs Atlantic Coastal Equipment

Digging trenches is a common part of many construction and utility projects. In fact, trench digging occurs so frequently on jobsites, that many crews will forget that working near them can be dangerous if the proper steps and precautions aren't implemented. In this article, we cover the most important methods for increasing trench safety and helping avoid accidents on your next excavation project.

Typical trenching hazards

Failure to adhere to correct safety procedures during trench digging operations can result in dangerous working conditions, job delays, and other problems on the worksite. Examples of potential consequences include:

• Slips and falls into the trench
• Cave-ins and collapse of the trench walls
• Heavy equipment sliding into the trench
• Flying rocks and other debris from above the trench
• Nearby structures collapsing into the excavated area
• Striking underground utilities, resulting in gas leaks, electrocution, flooding, or explosions

In order to prevent these accidents and issues from happening, follow the trench safety tips below.

Trench safety best practices

• Install trench shoring and trench shields – When your trench is deeper than 5 feet, protective systems are needed. Trench shoring and trench shields use metal supports for the walls to help prevent collapses.
• Sloping and benching – Another way to avoid cave-ins is through sloping and benching, which involves cutting back the trench wall at an angle to create a slope, then developing steps to travel in and out of the trench.
• Regularly check your trenches – All trenches must be carefully inspected prior to beginning work and then reexamined several times throughout the shift. Things to watch out for include signs of collapse or any other dangerous conditions, like cracking, sagging, or bulging of the trench walls or bubbling on the floor of the trench. When it rains or snows, you should check your trenches even more often.
• Always have an OSHA Competent Person on the site – A Competent Person is responsible for noticing and identifying potential hazards on the job, as well as implementing the required steps to ensure safety. OSHA regulations stipulate that there must be a Competent Person on trenching projects
• Properly train and equip your crew – All team members on the jobsite have to be able to recognize and respond to trenching issues, and they have to wear the right personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times, like hard hats, eye protection, and long sleeves and pants.
• Understand your jobsite – Underground utility lines can be dangerous for construction workers. It's important to know if there are any gas, electricity, or water lines running through your work area. Their locations should be identified and clearly marked for the excavation crew.
• Build a way out – Any trench more than 4 feet deep needs to have an easy access and egress routes within 25 feet of every worker. These routes can be ladders, ramps, or stairs.
• Maintain the proper distance – All workers should keep adequate distance from excavators digging trenches, in order to prevent injury from falling loads or debris. Supplies, equipment, and excavated dirt should also be stored at least two feet away from the trenching edge to avoid the possibility of having them fall in
• Test for hazardous materials substances – Trenches have to be analyzed for oxygen levels and potentially toxic gases like methane and carbon dioxide.

Prioritize safety

Implementing the right trench safety protocols are critical for preventing accidents, injuries, and downtime on excavation projects. You can help stop dangerous situations and maintain efficiency and productivity on your jobsite by understanding these tips and best practices for working in and around trenches and taking the correct precautions.