Cave-in protection a must at construction sites

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

Any of the above mentioned types can be chosen by the employer depending upon its efficiency for the job. But, it is absolutely unacceptable to not use a protective system in excavations because of inconvenience. It is up to the employers to see to the eradication of trenching and other hazards related to construction sites.