The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has signed a two-year agreement with an alliance of trade organizations, labor unions and industry stakeholders to protect workers conducting trenching and excavation.
“Sadly in 2022, we saw a dramatic and disturbing increase in the number of workers who died in trench collapses,” says Doug Parker, assistant secretary for OSHA. “We know that awareness and vigilance saves lives. Joining with the Partners for Safe Trenching and Excavation Operations Alliance is an important collaboration to help ensure that industry employers are taking the precautions required to keep every worker who enters or works near a trench safe.”
To address some of the construction industry’s most hazardous work, the agreement between OSHA and the Partners for Safe Trenching and Excavation Operations Alliance will unite the North American Excavation Shoring Association, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the National Utility Contractors Association, the Associated General Contractors, the Common Ground Alliance, the International Union of Operating Engineers, and the Laborers’ International Union of North America.
The initiative, which will help small- and medium-sized employers protect workers from hazards related to trenching, excavation, and shoring, will also focus on the four leading construction industry hazards including falls, caught-in or caught-between, struck-by objects, and electrocution. Additionally, alliance participants will share materials on how to improve control and equipment to reduce worker exposures to hazardous levels of noise and silica.
OSHA and alliance partners will develop guidance in multiple languages and deploy resources, such as safety articles and alerts, worksite tours, educational sessions, and focused discussions on common hazards in trenching and excavation work and agency priorities and initiatives. Alliance partners will also create podcasts and webinars focused on best practices in trenching and excavation plus encourage industry stakeholders to incorporate equity and worker voice into its outreach and activities to help connect as many workers as possible with important worker safety and health information.
“Whether union or merit shop, we strongly support any outreach effort that promotes safe work practices for trenching,” says Joe Xavier, senior director of health and safety, Associated Builders and Contractors. “Hazards specific to trenching are well known and understood in the industry as are the protective practices. Respect the force and speed involved with trench collapse—the best protection is prevention.”
Through the Alliance Program, OSHA is able to work with organizations such as trade and professional associations, labor unions, educational institutions, community and faith-based groups, and government agencies to share information about its initiatives and compliance assistance resources with workers and employers, and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities.
Currently, OSHA offers a Construction eTool regarding trenching and excavation safety. The five key trench safety tips are:
- Ensure that there’s a safe way to enter and exit.
- Ensure trenches have cave-in protection.
- Look for standing water and test if atmospheric hazards are or may be present.
- Keep materials away from the edge of the trench.
- Never enter a trench unless it has been properly inspected by a competent person.
