Trenching is an activity that is carried out at all construction sites. Working in trenches can prove to be extremely dangerous. This is because a number of life threatening accidents can occur with people who are working inside the trenches. Falling debris and lack of oxygen are some of the incidents that occur in these trenches. Of these, cave-ins are the most common and fatal accidents.
OSHA Construction Safety Rules emphasize the use of cave-in protection systems at construction sites. But most employers choose not to make use of these protective systems declaring that they are inconvenient to use. Recently, an employer went as far as stating: “If the box(trench box) would have fit – we would have used it”.
Lately, it has been found out that most of the construction contractors do not abide by the OSHA standards. Therefore, it is not astonishing to know that the lack of cave-in protection was stated as the second most violation last year.
As per the safety rules laid down by OSHA, protective systems should be put to use if the depth of the excavation is 5 feet or more. OSHA Construction Safety stresses on the use of the following three types of protective systems
- Shoring
- Sloping
- Shielding
2 comments:
Cave in protection can definitely save a lot of lives in terms of mishaps or accidents in the workplace. Having the right safety equipment plus the right safety training such as OSHA 10 hour training will definitely be the best way to ensure safety at the workplace. If the workers have the right equipment and the right knowledge about the hazards at work, they will be able to avoid it and to prevent it.
Health and safety in the workplace is an issue that affects all businesses. Implementation of an occupational health and safety system has now been mandated by law in many countries. Introduction to OHSAS 18001 Training will help you to comply with the legislation and devise a system to ensure a safe environment in the workplace. It will also introduce a management system to help reduce the risk of accidents, litigation and downtime.
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