Items Tagged with 'Trench safety'

Washington — A new OSHA public service announcement campaign featuring Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta places a spotlight on the increase in trench-related worker deaths.

Workers caught in trench collapses rarely survive because soil can be extremely heavy. A cubic yard of soil can weigh up to 3,000 pounds – roughly the weight of a small motor vehicle, according to OSHA.

Lexington, KY — In response to an uptick in trench-related deaths among construction workers, the Kentucky Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program has released a hazard alert warning of the dangers of trench work.

Fairfax, VA – The National Utility Contractors Association, with support from OSHA, is calling on employers whose workers perform trench work to participate in a Trench Safety Stand Down during the week of June 19-24.

In an instant and without notice, an unsupported trench can give way and a worker can be buried alive. “Even though small amounts of dirt may not seem treacherous, a single cubic yard of dirt can weigh more than 3,000 pounds, which can fatally crush or suffocate workers,” NIOSH states.

Lansing, MI – A recently developed mobile app aims to protect workers who take part in excavation and trenching activities.

Washington – OSHA has updated its guidance document on trenching and excavation activities to include a section on the employer bidding process.

Juneau, AK – In response to the death of a 23-year-old construction worker in a trenching incident in Anchorage, the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development is highlighting the importance of training workers on safe trench work and excavations.

From 2000 to 2009, an average of 35 workers died every year in trenching or excavation cave-ins, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.