From my perspective as a director of safety services, trenching and excavation incidents are no accident. They result from failing to recognize — and take necessary precautions to guard against — the danger trenches pose to workers. Yet each year as construction projects ramp up, we see an uptick in trench-related injuries and deaths.
Just two years ago, 39 people died doing trench or excavation work in the U.S. — a number so alarming that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched an outreach campaign to work directly with employers and agencies to reduce and prevent incidents. They increased on-site inspections, and some states passed laws that increased fines for employers who failed to follow required safety protocols.
Today, trenching and excavation safety remains an issue that demands our immediate attention. The construction industry is booming, and with busier schedules, corners can sometimes get cut. But here’s the sobering reality: a single misstep in trench safety can have devastating consequences for your employees and your bottom line.
Just one cubic yard of soil weighs about as much as a car; imagine that burying a worker. Workers can also be injured or die when they fall into a trench, get pinned between equipment or become asphyxiated by gases.
How can we prevent these tragedies? It comes down to prioritizing safety from the very beginning.
Protect Your Workers in the Trenches
It’s important to learn OSHA guidelines and train your workers to operate safely in the trenches. Here are some key strategies to keep your crews safe:
- Instruct your workers to never enter a trench unless it has been inspected by a competent person (someone who knows OSHA safety tips and who understands soil types). It’s important for that person to inspect trenches throughout the day as conditions change. Factors like weather, moisture and vibration can make a trench unstable.
- Provide accessible entrances and exits at excavation sites. They’re required when a site is more than 4 feet deep. They’re also vital in an emergency. Construction trade norms take this a step further, requiring access if a site is 19 inches or more deep.
- Ladders should extend 3 feet above an excavation site wall and be placed within a trench box if one is used. They also should be placed within 25 feet of where a worker needs to get in and out.
- Prevent trench collapses: Protective systems are required when a trench is 5 feet deep or more. When 20 feet deep or more, a registered professional engineer must design the system. We follow OSHA’s three primary systems for helping to prevent cave-ins:
- Slope it — Excavate the sides of a trench to prevent a cave-in. The incline angle depends on the type of soil at the site.
- Shore it — These systems — such as metal plates and hydraulic jacks — support the sides of an excavation and are designed to prevent cave-ins. They’re installed from the top down and are removed from the bottom up.
- Shield it — Trench boxes don’t prevent cave-ins but protect workers in the event of one. Ensure workers enter and exit a trench from within the trench box.
- Ensure trenches are free of standing water and environmental hazards like gas.
- Keep materials away from the edges of a trench.
Here’s an OSHA “quick card” for reference.
Invest in Safety to Protect Workers & Keep Projects Moving
Investing in safety isn’t just about following the rules. It’s about protecting your most valuable asset — your workforce. A healthy crew keeps projects on schedule and minimizes costly disruptions.
Skilled workers are in demand. According to Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) from early 2024, the industry needed to hire more than half a million additional workers on top of normal pace to meet demand just this year.
Your business may be forced to rely on new, less experienced workers. It’s incumbent upon you to help keep them safe. This is especially important because first-year employees account for more than 25% of all workplace injuries.
Protecting your workers in the trenches should be motivation enough. Developing a track record of low workplace injuries, however, could lead to lower workers’ compensation costs over time. It’s a win-win for your workers and the health and safety of your business.
Plus, given the tight labor market, you too can benefit from having a reputation for protecting and caring about your workers. Worker morale, after all, plays a role in production and quality. People talk and will know if your company consistently demonstrates that you take their safety seriously.
Build Resilience & Guard Against the Unexpected
You’ve worked hard to build your business and workforce. Now it’s your job to protect both. Trenching and excavation will always play a necessary role on your projects. However, it shouldn’t come at the cost of worker safety. When you prioritize proper inspections, protective systems, and safe ingress and egress procedures, you also prioritize everyone going home safely at the end of the day.
The tips in this article are meant to serve as a set of reminders — but they shouldn’t replace a plan specific to your business or projects. Maintain open communication with your team, insurer and local safety experts. You can find help in many places. For example, OSHA provides on-site consultations.
As a director of safety at Sentry, my team also visits construction sites throughout the country to walk through risk scenarios and assist with safety trainings. Trenching and excavation is one of many topics insurers can help with. Don’t be afraid to lean into your insurer. By working together, you can better identify hazards, plug safety gaps and secure the appropriate protection for your business. When you put safety first, you position yourself for a productive and safe season.
