The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released three new guidance products to educate workers and employers about the hazards workers face in trenching operations. The new information products, which are available on , include:
- " – an overview of the hazards that can occur while performing trenching operations and the safety measures required to protect workers;
- " – an easy-to-use guide to trenching hazards and safety measures with graphics; and
- " – a resource for construction workplaces informing workers what steps must be taken to ensure trench safety, along with the warning "An Unprotected Trench is an Early Grave."
Subjects covered in the three documents include proper shoring and sloping; evaluations by competent persons; means of access/egress; atmospheric hazard testing; and protective systems. The guidance also describes the protective measures that are required under OSHA's excavation standards (, , and ). Spanish-language versions of the documents are also available.
OSHA conducts a Special Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavations () which sets procedures for enforcement activities wherever trenching and excavation worksites are observed. When OSHA's compliance officers see a trench, they will inspect a trench.
For more information, contact Scott Berry at (703) 837-5321 or
berrys@agc.org; or Kevin Cannon at (703) 837-5410 or
cannonk@agc.org