ContentTrenches Don’t Have to be Deep to be Dangerous

Trenches Don’t Have to be Deep to be Dangerous

24-year-old describes how 3-foot, 9-inch excavation nearly took his life.
  • By Ed Wodalski
  • April 07, 2016
Trenches Don’t Have to be Deep to be Dangerous
Trenches Don’t Have to be Deep to be Dangerous Trenches Don’t Have to be Deep to be Dangerous

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Drain Cleaning Residential Plumbing Plumbing Commercial Plumbing Employee Plumber Safety Training/Education OSHA Trenches Shoring Featured

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Trenches Don’t Have to be Deep to be Dangerous
Water must be controlled to prevent cave-ins. Surface water must be diverted or controlled. The competent person must inspect the trench after each rain event. Of course, in this photo there are even more problems, like no trench shield, for starters.

Note: This is the second of a two-part series on trench safety and the story of a cave-in survivor who dispels the common belief that only deep trenches are dangerous. Part one of the series discusses the need for proper shoring. 

In February 2014, Jordan Baughn was working...

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