Dirt. It doesn’t necessarily seem dangerous. But did you know that one cubic yard of it, enough to half fill the bed of a full-size pickup truck, can weigh as much as a car? As result, excavation and trenching are classified among the most hazardous construction operations, resulting in a fatality rate that is 112 percent higher than the rate for general construction. Cave-ins and asphyxiation, due to lack of oxygen in a confined space, are major risks and are more likely to result in worker fatalities.
Protect yourself and read OSHA’s fact sheet to know the rules about trenching and excavation safety.
Please join us for our December OSHA #3015 course to learn more about trenching and excavation safety.
