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What's wrong with this picture? To someone down in the trench, a hardhat is an inadequate safety device, given the extreme danger that surrounds him. He is alone at the bottom of a 20 ft. deep vertical trench. Excavated soil has been stockpiled at the very edge of the trench, adding to the pressure on the trench walls. Vibrations from a backhoe operating nearby increases the likelihood of a cave-in. There is no ramp. There is no ladder. There is no way for the worker to escape. This worker needs to be properly protected from a cave-in. His coworkers should be instructed in proper sloping, shoring and shielding procedures. Unfortunately, this is an all too common site in construction and excavation work. How big a problem are we talking about? Cave-ins are a major source of fatalities within the construction industry. Trenching accidents on construction sites account for an estimated 100 fatalities per year in the U.S., with injuries well into the thousands. The fatalities account for nearly 1 percent of all work-related deaths in the United States. EOC Tech's Trench Safety Program is based
on the latest OSHA requirements for construction excavation safety.
Its purpose is to teach safe trenching practices, in a modern
format, taking advantage of both classroom instruction as well
as actual outdoor rescue, recovery and safety operations. Who can benefit from the program? · Construction Workers Trench Safety Trainer
Story by Sean Simpson Related Links |
