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OSHA Stepping Up Efforts to Make Construction Trenching Safer

Recognizing that excavation is one of the most hazardous construction operations and that it has been responsible for a rising number of deaths, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is stepping up its efforts in this area.

Printed in English on one side and Spanish on the other, a new information pocket card now available from OSHA, “Safety in Excavations or Trenches,” has been designed to help workers and employers understand safe trenching practices and federal requirements for construction excavation safety.

OSHA has also announced that it will be implementing a National Emphasis Program for trenching operations aimed at reducing fatalities in the construction industry. Under this program, OSHA will be targeting and scheduling inspections of job sites where trenching operations are most likely.

OSHA recently revised its construction excavation standards to make them easier to understand, permit the use of performance criteria where possible and provide construction employers with options when classifying soil and selecting employee protection methods.

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In the safety information provided on the pocket card, OSHA warns workers not to enter an unprotected excavation or trench, and it advises that all excavations or trenches that are five feet deep or greater require a protective system.

The card states that the walls of the excavation or trench must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Sloped for stability
• Cut to create stepped or benched grades
• Supported by a system made with posts, beams, shores or planking and hydraulic jacks
• Supported by a trench box to protect workers in an excavation or trench
• Excavated materials must be at least two feet away from the excavation or trench.
• An exit ladder must be within 25 feet of workers.

It should be noted that several states operate their own state OSHA programs and they may have adopted requirements for excavations and trenching that are different from the information presented above. If you live in a state with its own state plan, you should contact your local administrator for further information on the regulations applicable in your state.

For more information, e-mail Rob Matuga at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8507.

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