Resources to Promote Safe Work in Trenches

Injuries and fatalities associated with trenching and excavation work are preventable. The following are resources to help raise awareness of the risks and promote safe work practices all year long.

View CPWR’s recent webinar with OSHA, NIOSH and United Rentals and ASSP’s webinar with OSHA on demand: 

“Increasing Awareness of Factors that Influence Trench Safety”  — to learn about recent trends and a collaborative effort to increase awareness of the factors that may contribute to trenching incidents and ways to mitigate the risks. Moderator: Eileen Betit, CPWR’s Research to Practice (r2p) Director
Presenters:
Scott Ketcham, Director, OSHA Directorate of Construction
Joe Wise, Regional Customer Training Manager at United Rentals Trench Safety
Dr. Alan Echt, Sr. Industrial Hygienist, NIOSH Office of Construction Safety and Health
Thursday, May 28^th, 2020
Play Recording   Download Presentation

“OSHA and ASSP Share Trenching Safety Webinar”  — to hear from OSHA’s Scott Ketcham on the trends and ASSP’s Mike Hayslip and Steve Stock s on how contractors and workers can conduct excavation and trenching operations safely by following subparts of 29 CFR 1926, as well as the best practices described in industry consensus standards such as ANSI/ASSP A10.12.

CPWR:

• Trenches Hazard Alert (also available in Spanish)
• Trench Safety Toolbox Talk (also available in Spanish)
• No New Year — Trench Collapse Video (also available in Spanish)
• Practice Trench Safety. It Saves Lives Infographic (also available in Spanish)
• Strategies to Prevent Trenching-Related Injuries and Deaths Report
• Trench and Excavation Hazards: Insight on Newly Acquired Data and Managing the Risks  (presentation)

NIOSH:

• NEW! Trench Safety Infographic (jpeg, PDF)
• –NIOSH Science Blog – Preventing Trenching Fatalities (planning needs and solutions)
• Trenching and Excavation topic page
  • Preventing Worker Deaths from Trench Cave-ins
  • Preventing Deaths and Injuries From Excavation Cave-Ins: NIOSH Alert
  • Trench Safety Awareness Web-based training
  • Development of Draft Construction Safety Standards for Excavations
• Trench safety-using a qualitative approach to understand barriers and develop strategies to improve trenching practices
• 19 State FACE Trenching Reports
• 4 NIOSH FACE Trenching Reports
• WA FACE Construction Injury Narrative: Laborer Partially Buried When Trench Wall Collapses and Slide Show Fatality Narrative
• WA FACE Construction Injury Narrative: Spotter Crushed Between Excavator Bucket and Trench Box
• Mi FACE Hazard Alert: MI FACE TRENCH WALL COLLAPSES DO KILL

OSHA:

• 5 Things You Should Know to Stay Safe in a Trench (45-second video from Secretary Acosta) 
• Trenching and Excavation topic page
  • Trenching and Excavation Public Service Announcement (also available in Spanish)
  • National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation
  • Protect Workers in Trenches OSHA Poster (also available in Spanish)
• OSHA Standards for Excavation
• Construction eTool – Trenching and Excavation
• Working Safely in Trenches OSHA QuickCard™ (also available in Spanish)
• Trenching and Excavation Safety OSHA Fact Sheet
• Trenching and Excavation Safety – Highlights key elements of the standards and describes safe work practices that can protect workers from cave-ins and other hazards.
• Other OSHA Trenching and Excavation Resources
• Reg VI OSHA Training Institute Education Centers Trenching Safety Webinar on trench safety (also available in Spanish) *Just added*

Other Resources:

• Safety Walkaround Checklist Trenches & Excavations 
• Focus Four Toolbox Talks, Module 3 – Caught-in/between, Talk #2 – Trenches & Heavy Equipment
• Roadway Safety: Excavation (also available in Spanish)
• Trenches & Excavations Training Guide (also available in Spanish)
• Preventing Trenching Fatalities NIOSH Science blog