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OSHA updates trench safety Quick Card

Card outlines how to work safely in trenches with Slope It, Shore It, Shield It approach

Posted September 18, 2018

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, excavation and trench-related fatalities in 2016 were nearly double the average of the previous five years. OSHA recently updated its trench safety Quick Card with a three-pronged approach to prevent cave-ins:

  • Slope or bench trench walls by cutting back the trench wall at an angle inclined away from the excavation.
  • Shore trench walls with supports.
  • Shield trench walls by using trench boxes or other types of supports to prevent cave-ins.

OSHA standards require that trenches and protective systems be inspected daily and as conditions change by a competent person before work begins.


Trenching & Shoring Safety DVD Training ProgramJ. J. Keller's Trenching & Shoring Safety DVD Training Program helps your employees avoid trench accidents by training them on safe excavation-site procedures.

 

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