Since 2003, OSHA reports that more than 200 workers have
died in trench cave-ins, and hundreds more have been seriously injured. Unprotected
trenches are among the deadliest hazards in the construction industry, and citations
for violations of OSHA’s excavation standards (
29 CFR 1926.650,
29 CFR 1926.651,
29 CFR 1926.652) remain all too common. OSHA has
issued some new educational materials to help employers and employees better
recognize and control the hazards:
All three cover shoring and sloping; evaluations by
competent persons; means of access/egress; atmospheric hazard testing; and
protective systems.
